Sichuan Garden Prawns with Hot Chilli and Garlic

A restaurant that has always been high on my list of favourites is Hong Kong’s Sichuan Garden. There, the finest Sichuan cuisine is consistently offered. My students in Hong Kong always experience the delight of at least one banquet there and almost everyone’s favourite dish is this one. Large fresh prawns are coated with a light, airy batter and deep-fried. Then they are tossed in a colourless hot sauce thick with split red chillies and mounds of sliced garlic. The sauce is at once hot and