Instructions: 1 Place 75g/3oz sugar in a deep-sided pan with 1 tbsp water and heat gently until dissolved, stirring occasionally. Finely crush the garlic and chilli.

Set aside to use later.

2 Increase the heat of the sugar mixture and boil fast until you have achieved a brown caramel liquid, brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in water.

3 Mix together half the fish sauce and soy sauce. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and carefully slice each one three times halfway through, on the diagonal.

4 As the caramel is beginning to smoke, wrap your hand in a tea towel and remove from the heat. Stand well back and pour in the soy sauce mixture - be careful of it splattering.

5 Heat a small heavy-based frying pan. Return the caramel pan to the lowest heat and simmer gently for a minute to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the shallots, ginger and pepper.

6 Add the chicken to the frying pan, pour over the caramel sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally until they are evenly coated in the sauce.

7 Turn the chicken and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes until tender and caramelised. Plunge the noodles into a large pan of boiling salted water and boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for four minutes, stirring occasionally.

8 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Finely chop the spring onions, add to the pan and cook for a few minutes until softened.

9 Roughly chop the peanuts and add to the spring onions. Drain the noodles and add to the pan with the reserved chilli and garlic, remaining tbsp sugar, rice wine and remaining half of Thai fish sauce. Squeeze in the lime juice and toss to coat for a minute or so. Then remove from the heat.

10 Arrange some noodles on a serving plate. Carve a piece of the chicken and fan out on top. Drizzle around some of the sauce left in the pan and garnish with the spring onion curls and fresh coriander leaves. Serve the remaining sauce in a bowl for dipping if desired.

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