Whisk the light soy sauce, chilli garlic sauce, rice vinegar, caster sugar and chicken stock together in a small bowl and set aside.

Put the chicken in a bowl with the light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and white pepper. Toss well and leave it to sit for 10 minutes while you prepare everything else. Toast the Sichuan peppers in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant, then grind them.

Just before cooking, add the cornstarch to the chicken and toss until every piece is evenly coated.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden, crisp and cooked through. Work in two batches if needed. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the dried chillies to the same pan and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly darkened. Add the garlic, ginger and half the ground Sichuan peppers and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the red and green peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes until they start to soften but still have some bite.

Pour in the sauce and let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry, add it to the pan and cook for another minute until the sauce is thick and glossy.

Return the chicken to the pan together with the spring onions and toss for a minute until everything is well coated. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and the remaining ground Sichuan peppers and serve immediately over rice.