Fried Chicken (Szechuan Style) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

500 g skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons dry sherry (or rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder (extra)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tablespoon water
oil (for frying, we use a deep fryer)
1 tablespoon oil
3 -4 chilies (seeded and finely sliced)
2 garlic cloves (minced or finely sliced)
2 teaspoons ginger (grated or finely sliced)

Preparation

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and put to one side.
Mix cornflour, five spice powder and salt together and put to one side.
Heat up your oil.
Mix stock, sugar, vinegar, dry sherry, five spice powder and pepper in a jug or bowl.
In a small bowl/container mix the second lot of cornflour and the water.
Coat chicken with the cornflour salt mix (we do it in 2 or 3 batches for if left for any length of time the chicken will stick together and be awkward to handle).
Deep fry in batches and then drain on paper towel and then transfer to an oven proof dish and keep warm in a low heat oven.
When all chicken is cooked keep warm to one side.
Heat tablespoon oil in a wok or large frypan/skillet and add chillies, garlic and ginger and stir fry for minute or until fragrant.
Add stock mix and bring to the boil and then add cornflour water mix and stir until thickened.
Put cooked chicken into the sauce and stir to coat and fully heat through.
Serve with rice or we prefer fried rice.