Orange Chicken

1. Beat the egg in a bowl and toss the chicken through it. Combine the cornflour and plain flour in a second bowl and coat each piece thoroughly, pressing so the flour sticks.
2. Heat 4cm of oil to 180°C. Fry the chicken in batches for 5 minutes until deep gold. Drain on a rack.
3. In a wok over medium heat, fry the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes in a splash of oil for 30 seconds.
4. Add the orange juice, zest, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Simmer for 4 minutes until reduced by about a third.
5. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook for a minute until the sauce is glossy and clings to the spoon.
6. Add the chicken, toss for 30 seconds, and serve immediately with rice and the spring onion scattered over.

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Notes:

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• Zest before you juice — the zest carries more orange flavour than the juice does
• Reduce the sauce properly before the slurry goes in, or it will taste thin and watery
• A second quick fry at 190°C makes the coating bulletproof if you're serving a crowd