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1
Combine the chicken pieces with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and white pepper. Turn to coat thoroughly and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes. The chicken should smell sharply of wine and ginger before it proceeds to the oil.
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2
Heat the oil in a wok or deep vessel to 160°C. Add the chicken in batches and fry until cooked through — roughly 5–6 minutes per batch. Remove and drain. The surface will be pale gold and the juices will run clear when a piece is pressed.
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3
Raise the oil temperature to 190°C. Return all the chicken to the oil and fry for a second time until the exterior is deeply golden and audibly crackling. Lift out and drain. The crust must shatter, not yield, under the back of a spoon.
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4
Pour away all but 3–4 tablespoons of oil from the wok. Set over medium heat and add the dried chilis and Sichuan peppercorns. This is where the dish lives or dies: the chilis must be turned constantly in the oil until they darken and release a deep, roasted fragrance — the moment they tip from fragrant to acrid, the dish is lost. Remove from heat immediately once the oil smells richly of toasted chili and the skins have coloured but not blackened.
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5
Return the wok to the heat. Add the double-fried chicken and the peanuts, tossing everything together so the chicken is buried within the chilis — the ratio of chili to chicken by volume should appear, and is intended to appear, excessive. Toss for 30–40 seconds until unified and very hot. Serve immediately in the wok or a pre-warmed vessel; the chili mountain should completely obscure the chicken beneath it.