Jade Chicken

Marinate the chicken in the soya sauce and cooking wine. Season lightly with pepper and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, mix the sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel. Remove from the heat. Slowly and carefully stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.

In a wok or saucepan, heat the oil for deep frying to 350 F. Fry the spinach leaves in small batches that don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook until crisp and translucent, and still green. Do not allow to brown.

Remove the spinach with tongs and drain well on paper towels. When all batches are done, season lightly with salt and pepper.

As the last batch of spinach cooks, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok over medium high heat until smoking. Add the chicken to the pan; do not overcrowd. Immediately pour the caramel over the chicken, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, until the chicken is browned. Turn chicken and cook for another 2 minutes, or until cooked through and sauce is thickened.

Arrange spinach on top of rice, and pile chicken in the centre. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.