Spicy, sweet, sour and savoury all at once, Kung Pao Chicken is one of those rare dishes that really fires up all of the taste buds. Originally a very spicy dish hailing from the Sichuan region of China, modern and westernised versions tend to be milder and packed with lots of different ingredients. Our recipe straddles these realms of traditional and contemporary: we stick to the core ingredients of chicken, peanuts and chilli, but at the same time we let other flavours, such as a pleasant tanginess, shine alongside the chilli.

Sichuan peppercorns are optional, but add them and you’ll achieve that delightful background numbing sensation that exemplifies Sichuanese cuisine. And if you’re a chilli fiend (like Julie!), feel free to add a couple more dried chillies to the mix.