Kung Pao shrimp

Marinate the peeled shrimp with the salt, white pepper powder, cooking wine and a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix well.

Put half the coating cornstarch in a lidded container, add the shrimp, cover with the rest, lid on and shake well.

Mix the sugar with the cornstarch in a sauce bowl, then add the light soy sauce, black vinegar and water; mix and set aside.

Put oil and the raw peanuts in the wok over medium low heat and stir constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, until many small bubbles appear and the nuts open slightly; take them out at once or they burn.

Alternatively roast the nuts in a 360F oven for 12 minutes.

Shake the excess starch off the shrimp in a sieve and bring the oil to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fry in two batches on high, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes depending on size, then drain on a rack.

Sieve the crumbs out of the oil before the next batch or they burn.

Thinly slice the garlic and ginger, dice the scallion whites, cut the greens into short pieces, cut half the dried chilies into short pieces.

Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in the wok over low heat a couple of minutes and grind them to a fine powder.

Pour off most of the oil, keeping one and a half tablespoons, and saute the aromatics and doubanjiang over medium-low until fragrant, a couple of minutes.

Add the Sichuan peppercorn powder, pour in the sauce and stir over medium-low a couple of minutes until thickened.

Add the reserved scallion greens, the peanuts and the shrimp and toss until coated; serve with white rice.