Sweet & Sour Chicken

by John Audsley

How about a great Friday night treat, with an authentic homemade Sweet & Sour dish.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 35 - 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Chicken Breast, cut into 4cm cubes
  • Juice and fruit from 1x435g tin of pineapple chunks
  • 100ml orange juice
  • 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 90ml semi-skimmed milk
  • Rapeseed oil, for frying , plus 1tbsp for stir-frying
  • 1 red pepper, cut into rough chunks
  • 1 orange pepper, cut into rough chunks
  • 1 onion, chopped into rough chunks
  • Boiled rice and spring onion, to serve

Method

  1. Make the sauce. Place the syrup from the pineapple in a saucepan, along with the orange juice, ketchup, sugar and vinegar.Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, dilute the cornflour in 100ml water, mixing to ensure there are no lumps. Pour the cornflour water into the sauce, a little at a time, until it is reached the desired thickness and stickiness (you might not need it at all). Set aside.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to Fan 100/ Gas Mark 1/4, and place a cooling rack set over a baking tray inside. Prepare the chicken. Add the flour and 1 tsp of salt to a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the egg and milk and pour this mixture onto the flour, then stir to make a paste. Add the chicken pieces, mixing to ensure they are well coated.
  3. Add enough oil to a wok or pan to cover the bottom by at least 3cm. Heat the oil till it reaches 180 degrees (when a drop of the batter browns in 20 seconds), then carefully lower in 5 or 6 chicken pieces. Fry to 5-6 minutes, until golden and fully cooked, then transfer to the rack in the pre-heated oven while you cook the rest.
  4. When you have fried the chicken, place a wok on a high heat and add the 1tbsp oil. When hot, add the chunks of pepper and onion and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, cook for 30 seconds more, then add the sauce. Stir to incoperate, cook briefly to warm the sauce through, then remove from the heat.
  5. Place a bed of rice in each bowl, spoon over the sauce and add the chicken pieces, with strips of spring onion.
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