Lunch/Dinner Classic Sweet and Sour Chicken
Serves : 4
Preparation Time: 5 mins (or 35 with velveting)
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2tbsp oil
- 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 100g baby sweetcorn, halved
- 2tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
- 2tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2tbsp sugar
- 2tbsp cornflour
- 2cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- 227g can pineapple chunks in juice, drained and juice reserved
- 1tbsp tomato puree (optional)
- 300g rice or noodles, cooked according to pack instructions,
to serve
Method
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides.
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Add the onion, and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring well.
-
Throw in the peppers, baby sweetcorn and stirfry for 3-4 mins until softened.
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Make the sauce by mixing the ketchup, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, white wine vinegar, sugar and cornflour in a small bowl.
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Add the ginger and drained pineapple chunks to the pan, then stir in the sweet and sour sauce. Make up the pineapple juice to approx. 300ml with either a little water or stock and add to the pan. Cover and simmer for 10mins, stirring occasionally. If the colour is a little pale, add the tomato puree for a richer sauce.
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Serve with rice or noodles.
For super succulent chicken, why not try ‘velveting’ the chicken before cooking. This is an authentic Chinese cooking technique, used to prevent overcooking and give a smooth moist texture to the meat.
Before cooking the chicken, toss it in a mixture made from 1tbsp cornflour and 1 egg white. Leave it to marinate for 30mins in the fridge.
When ready to cook, heat 2-3cm oil in a pan and quickly fry the chicken for about 30seconds, until it turns white. Lift it out of the oil, drain on a plate, then add to the recipe after the onions and garlic, stirring well and allowing it to cook through.
