From: Fuchsia Dunlop „The Food of Sichuan“

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9 oz (250g) peeled raw shrimp, fresh or defrosted

10 dried chilies

5 scallions, white parts only

1 celery stick

1¼ cup (300ml) cooking oil

½ tsp whole Sichuan pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

An equivalent amount of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

⅔ cup (75g) fried or roasted cashews

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp potato starch

1 tbsp egg white

3 tsp superfine sugar

¼ tsp potato starch

1 tsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp light soy sauce

2½ tsp Chinkiang vinegar

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1. With a sharp knife, make a slit lengthwise down the back of each shrimp, through the thickest part. Place in a bowl, add the marinade ingredients and refrigerate, preferably for a few hours.

2. Snip the chilies in half or into ¾-inch (2cm) sections and shake out the seeds. Cut the scallion whites into ½-inch (1cm) slices.

3. Cut the celery at an angle into diamond shapes. Combine the sauce ingredients with 1½ tbsp cold water in a small bowl.

4. Heat the oil in a seasoned wok to 300°F (150°C) (hot enough to produce a notable, though not violent, sizzle around a test shrimp).

5. Add the shrimp, separating them with long cooking chopsticks or tongs, then add the celery. When the shrimp are half-cooked remove them and the celery with a slotted spoon and set aside.

6. Carefully pour off all but about 3 tbsp of the oil from the wok and return to high heat. Add the chilies and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until the chilies are fragrant.

7. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry until you can smell them. Tip the shrimp and celery and stir-fry until just cooked (test a shrimp to make sure).

8. Give the sauce a stir, pour into the wok and stir as the sauce thickens and coats the shrimp. Finally, stir in the cashews and serve.