Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Thigh With Rice

Take your chicken out of the fridge and open the packet to let it breathe before cooking

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop your ginger

Peel and finely slice (don't chop!) your garlic

Peel and roughly slice your brown onion[s]

Deseed your peppers (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into large, bite-sized pieces

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

While the rice is cooking, heat a large, wide-based pan or wok (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your diced chicken thigh to the pan and cook for 3-4 min or until browned all over

Once the chicken has browned, add the sliced garlic and chopped ginger and cook for 1 min further or until slightly softened

Once slightly softened, add the sliced onion and chopped peppers and cook for 3-4 min further or until beginning to soften

Meanwhile, combine your cornflour, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and red chilli relish in a bowl with 150ml [195ml] [250ml] cold water and give everything a good mix up – this is your Kung Pao sauce

Once the veg has started to soften, add your roasted peanuts, ground coriander and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the pan with a very generous grind of black pepper, then cook for 1-2 min further

Add the Kung Pao sauce to the pan and cook for 3-4 min further or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your spicy Kung Pao chicken thigh