1. Place the following prepped ingredients on a plate or rimmed baking dish in the order that they are added to the skillet so that they’re ready to go: onions, red peppers, dried chilis, Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
2. Make the sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3. Measure the remaining 1/2 cup of cornstarch into a large resealable plastic bag or medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat all pieces thoroughly.
4. In a deep skillet, add enough oil to come up 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat to 350˚F.
5. Add chicken without crowding (you may need to do this in 2-3 batches), frying until golden brown and cooked through, 5 – 7 minutes per batch, using tongs to flip pieces over occasionally. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
6. Once all chicken has been cooked, discard frying oil, and wipe out skillet, being very careful to avoid burns.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, stir-frying until just tender-crisp, 1-2 minutes.
8. Next, add the red peppers and cook, stir-frying until just tender-crisp, 1-2 minutes
9. Add the chilis, Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger, and cook while stirring until fragrant, about 1 – 2 minutes.
10. Add the chicken and stir to distribute through the vegetables.
11. Whisk the sauce for a few seconds to redistribute the cornstarch through it. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables, stirring to coat.
12. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is just thickened, about 1 minute. Remove dried chilies or warn diners that they are difficult to chew and very spicy and perhaps should not be eaten.

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