Growing up, takeaway glory lived three blocks away at Seventh Heaven, an iconic (to me) suburban Chinese restaurant. The red- trimmed door led to one of the most glorious food memories of my childhood. This recipe is an amalgamation of my childhood memories, with a wisp of Sichuan peppercorns for mouth-warming heat and cut-through. It’s sweet, sticky comfort in a bowl.

If you can’t find Sichuan peppercorns at your supermarket or Asian grocers, substitute with white pepper. It’s worth looking though – there is really nothing like them.

Method:

• Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then add the chicken thighs and turn to coat well. If time is on your side, it’s wondrous to marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight, but I’ve also done a quick dump and turn in the marinade and been just as happy. Either way, bring to room temperature before cooking.
• To make the honey lemon sauce, put the honey, lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring to prevent catching, until the honey has warmed and the juice and zest are incorporated – it will begin to foam a little. Remove from the heat and stir through the cornflour slurry until combined. Return to the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is the thickness of golden syrup – you want it to still be runny but gloriously thick. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the rice bran oil and, once hot, fry the marinated chicken thighs until browned (2–3 minutes each side). Reduce the heat to medium and continue frying until cooked through – another 5–7 minutes depending on thickness.
• While hot, with tongs transfer the chicken thighs to a chopping board and slice into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl with the honey lemon sauce, gently turning to coat.
• To serve, add chicken to bowls of steamed white rice and top with the sliced spring onions, crushed Sichuan peppercorns and sesame seeds.

Editor’s note: If you cannot find kosher Shaoxing rice wine, replace with dry sherry or Vermouth.