Orange chicken

Cut the chicken breasts into two or three strips, turn 90 degrees and dice into pieces about an inch across.

Stir the soy sauce, mirin, cornstarch and baking soda together, add the chicken and let it marinate 20 minutes.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and cornstarch together for the breading.

Put about a quarter of the dry mix in a second bowl and add just enough water to make a loose pancake batter, somewhere between melted ice cream and wet paint.

Drizzle about a quarter cup of the batter into the dry breading and crumble it into gravel to make craggy bits.

Toss the marinated chicken in about three cups of plain flour, coating every surface, then shake it off.

Move the floured chicken into the wet batter and toss to coat.

Lift the chicken into the dry breader with a slotted spoon, toss, break up any clumps and hold on a sheet tray.

Heat two quarts of neutral oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium high about 10 minutes, to about 300F.

Lower all the chicken in with a spider, spread it out and loosen it gently from the bottom.

Fry four to five minutes at 300F until the breading is set but still blonde, then drain on a wire rack.

Raise the heat to bring the oil to 350F and fry the chicken again, checking at about 90 seconds, to dehydrate the crust; hold it in a low oven.

In a large nonstick pan over medium high with 30 grams of oil, fry the grated garlic, grated ginger and sliced scallions about a minute until softened and coloured.

Add the chicken stock, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, rice vinegar, the orange zest and juice and 5 grams of cornstarch and stir.

Add a strong pinch of chili flakes, bring to a simmer and reduce by about half, about two minutes.

Stir in about two more grams of cornstarch as a slurry and let it boil briefly to thicken.

Turn off the heat, slide the fried chicken into the pan and toss gently to coat without loosening the breading.

Serve over white rice with sesame seeds and a strong pinch of chili flake.