Instructions: 1 For the Velveting: Lightly beat the egg white, salt and cornflour in a bowl. Add the chicken and put in the freezer for five minutes.

2 Roughly chop the garlic and ginger and place in a mini-blender with the chilli flakes and black beans and whiz to a coarse paste.

3 Heat half the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion to the pan and cook for five minutes, stirring until soft.

4 Place 330ml/1/2 pint water in a pan and bring to the boil. Cut the carrots on the diagonal and cut the peppers into diamond shapes.

5 Stir the chicken and drain with a slotted spoon. Remove the pan of boiling water from the heat and add the chicken, stirring to prevent it from sticking. Then return to the heat.

6 Cook for a further 11/2 minutes until white and tender. Drain on kitchen paper. Add the rice to the onion and cook for three minutes, stirring.

7 Heat a wok and swirl in the remaining oil. Add the garlic mixture and stir- fry for 15 seconds, add the carrots and stir-fry for a minute.

8 Stir in the chicken and the peppers. Pour in the stock and add the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, increase the heat and bring to the boil.

9 Add the peas to the rice and stir-fry until just heated through.

Season with the remaining salt and the pepper.

10 Mix together the large egg with the sesame oil and then pour into the rice in a thin, steady stream, stirring all the time, then stir-fry for another minute or two until the eggs have set.

11 Reduce the chicken mixture to a simmer, add the sugar snap peas and spring onions and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender.

12 Stir the slated cornflour mixture into the wok. Cook for a minute or so until the sauce clears and thickens. Place some of the rice in a Chinese bowl and spoon some of the chicken mixture on top. Garnish with spring onion tassels and serve at once.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.