Chicken With Vinegar

Cut the chicken breasts as evenly as possible into 1.2 x 0.75 inch (3 x 2 cm) pieces.

Cut the cooked bamboo shoot into 2 inch triangular bite size pieces. Dice the green onions. Slice the ginger and garlic. Finely chop the pickled red chili.

Place the chicken in a small bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. ● 1 Egg white ● Cornstarch ¼ cup / 35g ● Soy sauce 1 ½tbsp / 23ml ● Shaoxing wine 1tbsp / 15ml ● Salt 1tsp / 5g

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. ● Chicken stock ½ cup / 120ml ● Soy sauce 1tbsp / 15ml ● Sugar 1tsp / 5g ● Vinegar 2tbsp / 30ml ● Water + starch slurry 2tbsp / 30ml

Heat 2 cups of oil over a medium flame to about 210°F / 100°C. Add the chicken and separate the pieces. Keeping an eye on the oil temperature, which shouldn't rise above about 195°F / 90°C after the chicken is added, stir very gently until the pieces of chicken have separated and are just turning white. Remove immediately from the wok with a slotted spoon and drain off excess oil. The chicken will still be half raw - resist the temptation to cook it through at this stage or you'll find the finished dish less than succulent.

Tip off most of the oil in the wok, leaving behind just 2 tablespoons. Heat this over a medium flame until hot but not smoking. Add the pickled red chilli paste, garlic, ginger, and stir-fry for about 20-30 seconds until the oil is a rich, deep red. Add green onion, bamboo shoot, the chicken to the wok and stir in quickly. Still working swiftly, give the sauce a stir and add to the wok. Stir or toss a few more times until everything is well mixed and the sauce has thickened, and then turn on to a serving dish.

The chicken should be just cooked and very tender - test the largest piece to make sure it's cooked through. Enjoy!

The initial frying of the chicken in a protective clothing of egg white batter, and in fairly cool oil, keeps it soft and delicate, ready to receive the delicious draping of the sauce.