“Forget a greasy takeaway, this homemade Chinese chicken dish will blow your mind. To make your chicken as crispy as possible, use my two-pan ‘bounce cooking’ technique. ”
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Cook the rice by putting 1 mug of rice in a small saucepan with 440ml of water and a good pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on a medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and leave to steam for 15 minutes.
Score the flesh side of the chicken thighs, then cut each thigh into 8 pieces and add to a bowl. Mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, stock and sugar together in a small bowl. Spoon half of the marinade into a small bowl and set aside.
Mix the potato starch with 2 teaspoons of cold water and mix with the remaining marinade, then pour over the chicken and mix well. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 large frying pans on a high heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil into one of the pans, then carefully add the chicken. When the pan stops sizzling, carefully transfer all the chicken pieces into the second hot frying pan. Every time the chicken stops sizzling, carefully transfer to the other pan. Repeat the process until the chicken is cooked through.
For the cabbage, peel and thinly slice the 3 cloves of garlic, cut the cabbage into 1cm chunks and slice the bacon. Put a wok over a medium heat and fry the bacon for 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, then add the garlic and whole chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for a further minute.
Peel and finely grate the garlic and ginger. Slice the white parts of the spring onions into 1cm pieces at an angle, then finely slice the green parts.
When the chicken is crispy and golden, add the dried chillies to the empty pan and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the chillies to the chicken with the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the spring onions and cook for a further minute. Pour in the reserved marinade and toss together.
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and chilli oil, if using, and sprinkle over the finely sliced green tops from the spring onions. Serve with the rice and cabbage.