Firecracker sauce

 Firecracker sauce is one of my back-pocket recipes that makes anything taste amazing – FAST! As the name suggests, it's an explosion of flavour – spicy, sweet, a touch of tang and savoury. It's a riff on Thai chilli jam – except it takes a fraction of the time and you've probably got everything you need to make it right now.
From chicken to prawns, vegetables to tofu, use it for stir-frying, as a sauce for pan-seared chops or pour it over steamed veg or fish.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 tbsp vegetable oil

600g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 0.5cm strips

Firecracker sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp chilli flakes (adjust the spiciness to taste)

2 tbsp light or all-purpose soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)

2 tbsp rice vinegar

3 tbsp Sriracha sauce

5 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp water

To serve

sesame seeds

finely sliced spring onions

steamed white rice

steamed greens

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large frypan or skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until it changes from pink to white – it doesn't need to be cooked all the way through.

2. Add garlic and chilli flakes, stir for 30 seconds until garlic is golden.

3. Add soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, sugar and water. Mix together, then simmer rapidly for two minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce reduces and the chicken is caramelised.