Orange chicken

Method

• step 1

  Mix the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and the white pepper in a bowl. Cut the chicken breasts in half so you have two thin fillets per breast, then tip these into the bowl and toss to coat in the egg.

• step 2

  Combine both the flours with a pinch of salt, and tip onto a plate. Lift the chicken fillets out of the egg, allowing the excess to drip off, and dip in the flour mixture until fully coated. Set aside on a plate.

• step 3

  Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat (you'll want to add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan) until shimmering, and fry the coated chicken fillets for 3-4 mins on each side until golden. (You may need to do this in batches.) Put the cooked chicken fillets on a wire rack set over kitchen paper to drain. The chicken fillets can be fried up to a day ahead, cooled and chilled. Crisp up again in a 200C/180C fan/gas 6 oven for 8-10 mins.

• step 4

  To make the sauce, combine the cornflour with 2 tsp water. Tip the cordial and 150ml water into a medium saucepan, then whisk in the cornflour paste. Slowly bring to the boil over a low heat, whisking continuously until it becomes translucent and starts to thicken. If the flavour is too strong or the sauce is too thick, add up to 50ml more water. Or, if you want the flavour to be more intense, add more orange cordial, 1 tsp at a time.

• step 5

  Cut the chicken fillets into strips, about 1.5-2cm wide, then scatter over shredded iceberg lettuce. Top with the orange pieces and pour over the sauce, then garnish with spring onions and serve with hot basmati rice.