Guo Bao Rou

Ingredients

• 500g pork loin, cut into 3mm slices
• 160g potato starch
• 240ml cold water
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (for the batter)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100g caster sugar
• 100ml rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt (for the sauce)
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 thumb ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
• 3 spring onions, cut into fine matchsticks
• 1 small carrot, cut into fine matchsticks
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 litre neutral oil, for frying
• 1 handful coriander leaves

Before you cook

• Stir the potato starch into the 240ml of cold water and leave it to settle for 30 minutes, then pour off the clear water on top.
• Toss the pork slices with the Shaoxing wine and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Whisk the sugar, rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and soy sauce together until the sugar dissolves.
• Cut the ginger, spring onion and carrot into fine matchsticks and keep them together in one bowl.

Steps

1. Beat the 2 tbsp of oil into the settled potato starch paste until it has the thickness of double cream.
2. Add the pork slices to the batter and turn them until each one is thickly coated.
3. Heat the frying oil in a wok to 160C.
4. Lower the pork slices in one at a time, frying 5 or 6 at once so the oil stays hot.
5. Fry for 2 minutes until pale gold and set, then lift them onto a rack.
6. Fry the remaining pork in batches the same way.
7. Raise the oil temperature to 190C.
8. Return all the pork to the oil and fry for 60 to 90 seconds until deeply golden and audibly crisp.
9. Drain the pork on the rack and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok.
10. Set the wok over high heat and add the garlic, ginger, spring onion and carrot, stirring for 15 seconds.
11. Pour in the sugar and vinegar mixture and let it bubble hard for about 45 seconds until it thickens slightly and smells sharp.
12. Tip the fried pork into the wok and toss fast for no more than 15 seconds so the crust does not soften.
13. Turn everything out onto a warm plate, scatter with coriander, and serve immediately.