Sichuan crispy pork

Cut 500 g of pork shoulder into bite-sized pieces, keeping to one size so they cook evenly.

Marinate with a tablespoon of minced garlic, two teaspoons of minced ginger, a teaspoon of five spice powder, a tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine, a teaspoon of salt, half a tablespoon of soy sauce and a third of a teaspoon of baking soda; mix well and leave 30 minutes.

Combine half a cup of dried red chilies, a tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorn, half a teaspoon of white peppercorn, one and a half tablespoons of raw sesame seed, half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a small piece of dried orange peel.

Stir them over medium-low heat a couple of minutes without burning them, then remove from the wok and let them cool.

Blend to a powder in a spice grinder and add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar.

Optional: roast another tablespoon of sesame seed and a teaspoon of cumin seed and mix them in whole.

For the batter combine 30 g all-purpose flour, 120 g sweet potato starch and half a teaspoon of baking powder.

Crack in one large egg, pour in some water and add 25 g of vegetable oil, then whisk well, adding water to loosen; about 90 g of water in total gives a smooth, creamy batter.

Toss the marinated pork through the batter so every piece is coated.

Bring the oil to 370F - a drop of batter should bubble hard and float in two seconds - and drop the pork in one by one, without crowding the wok.

Fry over medium low 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pork is cooked through but not yet golden; fish out the crumbs before the next batch.

Let the pork sit 20 minutes before double frying; it can be frozen at this stage and double fried straight from frozen.

Bring the oil to 400F and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy, then drain on paper towels.

Serve with the spice powder as a dipping rub.