Taiwanese-Style Basil Chicken Thigh Stir-Fry & Sticky Rice

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Rinse your sushi rice in a sieve under cold running water for 30 secs (use your hands to really wash the grains!), then set aside to drain fully

Add the drained rice with 200ml [300ml] [400ml] cold water and a pinch of salt to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low until very gently bubbling and cook, covered, for 15 min

After 15 min, remove the pot from the heat and keep covered for a further 10 min before serving

Tip: Don't peek! Keep the lid on the whole time to get fluffy and sticky rice!

Whilst the sushi rice is cooking, peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger, then peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Wash the pak choi, and pat it dry with kitchen paper, then chop the roots from the pak choi, slice the white bases finely and roughly tear the pak choi leaves in half

Chop your basil stalks finely, keeping the leaves and chopped stalks separate

Add 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour to a bowl

Add your diced chicken to the bowl and coat evenly in the flour

Tap off any excess

Tip: The chicken should just have a light flour coating!

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add the coated chicken and cook for 10-12 min, turning once halfway, until golden and cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once the chicken is cooked, add the chopped ginger, garlic and basil stalks to the pan with the chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 1 min until fragrant

Add the chopped pak choi bases and cook for 1 min further

Add your toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and Chinese rice wine with 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] water and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar

Add the pak choi leaves and basil leaves and cook for 1-2 min further or until everything's wilted and evenly coated in the sauce – this is your Taiwanese-style basil chicken stir-fry