Sweet & sour chicken
John Torode on Good Food
Prepare
20 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Serve
4 servings
Description
Try an authentic version of this classic Chinese takeaway dish, with natural sweetness and a warm chilli flavour to spice things up
Nutrients
Calories
654 calories
Carbohydrates
82 grams carbohydrates
Protein
38 grams protein
Fat
20 grams fat
Saturated Fat
3 grams saturated fat
Fiber
2 grams fiber
Sugar
50 grams sugar
Ingredients
- sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
- 100ml soda water chilled
- 140g self-raising flour
- 25g cornflour
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into chunks
- spring onions finely shredded, to serve
- 1 red pepper deseeded and chopped into chunks
- 3 red chillies 1 cut into chunks, 2 halved and deseeded
- 425g can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
- 4 star anise
- 50g tamarind paste
- 100g caster sugar
- 100ml rice wine vinegar or Chinese vinegar
Method
- For the sauce, put the red pepper, chunks of chilli and pineapple juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 10 mins, then purée in a food processor.
- Return to the pan with the pineapple chunks, chilli halves, star anise, tamarind, sugar and vinegar. Gently simmer for 20-30 mins until reduced and sticky. Keep warm, or reheat to serve.
- Fill a large pan 1cm deep with oil and heat until shimmering. Whisk the soda water and 100ml cold water into the self-raising flour with a little salt. Stir the batter well.
- Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low. Dust the chicken with cornflour, then dip into the batter.
- One at a time, lower into the hot oil (about 5-6 every batch). Turn up the heat to keep the chicken frying, if needed, and cook for 5-6 mins, turning once.
- When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side, and scatter with shredded spring onions.