This chicken is a perfect balance of savoury, slightly sweet and slightly sour. It is a really satisfying meal but the Chinese Wrinkled Green Beans are the star of the show for me. If you've never tried green beans this way, they are a revelation! Even if you are not usually a fan of green beans, I urge you to try them!

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• Groundnut, sunflower or vegetable oil for frying-you will need about ½ an inch in your pan

To velvet the chicken:

• 1 tablespoon Potato Starch or Cornflour
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Szechuan Peppercorns, ground down in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup Red Wine
• ¼ cup Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

For the rice:

• 1 cup Basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear

For the Green Beans:

• 200g Green Beans
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Thumb sized piece of Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, sliced finely
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or a little more to taste
• ½ tablespoon Sesame Oil

Method:

Start by velveting the chicken to make it super tender. Place the chicken in a bowl with the szechuan peppercorns, potato starch and soy sauce. Combine well and set aside for 1 hour if possible.

When you are ready to cook, wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a pot with a tight fitting lid and boil until the water is absorbed. When airpockets appear on the surface of the rice, turn the heat off and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes. Do NOT stir, just leave the lid on and allow it to steam for lovely fluffy rice. 

In the meantime, heat a large frying pan and add the oil, about ½ an inch in the pan. Add the green beans and stir fry over a high heat until starting to wrinkle. Remove and drain most of the oil into another pan for the chicken. Allow to cool for a moment then add the garlic, ginger and spring onions. Return the green beans to the pan and add the sesame oil and soy sauce. Remove to a warmed dish and keep warm while you cook the chicken. Finish with the sesame seeds when ready to serve.

Heat the pan for the chicken over a high heat with the oil. Fry the chicken, turning occasionally until crisp on the outside and cooked through-about 8 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, add the wine, ketchup, rice wine vinegar and oyster sauce to a saucepan (large enough to fit the chicken. Combine well and simmer for a couple of minutes until slightly reduced. 

Add the cooked chicken to the sauce to coat well and serve with the rice, coriander, sesame seeds and green beans.