Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken (Chinese)

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 pound deboned chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons corn flour
corn oil (for deep-frying)

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 teaspoons corn flour
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons pineapple juice, reserved from 4-ounce can pineapple chunks (drained chunks will be used later in the recipe)
3 tablespoons rice or wine vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 tablespoons corn oil, divided use
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 onion, skinned and roughly chopped
1 green and 1 red pepper, halved, seeded and diced
salt to taste, optional

TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
Cut the chicken into pieces, about 1-inch-by-1 1/4-inches-by-3/4
inch. Put into a bowl. Add the 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon soy sauce and leave to marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Stir in the egg to coat thoroughly. Dredge the chicken, piece by piece, through the 3 tablespoons corn flour, making sure it is evenly coated.

Half fill a wok or deep-fryer with oil. Heat to a temperature of 350 degrees F or until a cube of stale bread browns in 60 seconds. Add the chicken and deep-fry for about 1 minute in 1 or 2 batches; separate the pieces with a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon if they stick together. Drain on paper towels. This step can be done ahead of time.

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
In a bowl, dissolve the 2 teaspoon corn flour in the 4 tablespoons water and pineapple juice. Add the vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and stir to blend.

Heat a frying pan or saucepan (unless you have another wok) until hot. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon corn oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic and onion, stir a few times and then add the green and red pepper. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes over a medium heat and season with salt if desired. Add the pineapple chunks. Pour in the well-stirred sauce and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. (This sauce can be made in advance.)

TO FINISH THE CHICKEN:
Reheat the oil for deep-frying to a higher temperature of 375 degrees F or until a cube of stale bread browns in 50 seconds. Add the chicken and again deep-fry in one batch for about 2-3 minutes to ensure that the outside is crisp and golden without the chicken inside getting dry. Drain on paper towels and remove to a warm serving plate.

TO SERVE:
Reheat the sweet and sour sauce and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. This prevents the sauce from being gluey. Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook by Yan-Kit So