This is a dish that has become a favourite in Cantonese restaurants and takeaways worldwide. For the home cook, the sauce is very simple to prepare, and once made and tasted, you'll go for the homemade version every time, I assure you!
Ingredients
600 g chicken breast
1 finely chopped red chilli
3 leeks
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 small can of pineapple
2 red peppers
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 egg
splash shaoshing wine (or rice wine)
For the sauce:
1/3 cup of distilled malt vinegar
generous tablespoon of light soy sauce
4 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons worcester sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
To begin carefully prepare the chicken breast by chopping into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Wash chopping board and chop the red peppers into similar sized pieces, finely dice the garlic, and chop the leeks into 1 cm lengths.Finely slice the chilli.
Drain the canned pineapples and chop into small pieces.
Now prepare the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together ensuring that the caster sugar is fully dissolved. In a seperate bowl dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornflour in 4 teaspoons of cold water.
Dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg and coat with cornflour. Fry the chicken in a medium heated wok until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the wok and stir fry the chopped garlic briefly, adding the leeks and red peppers. After 2 minutes add the chopped chilli, the pineapple pieces and the cooked chicken. Moisten with a little shaoshing wine and stir fry all the ingredients briskly.
Finally add the sweet and sour sauce and the cornflour/water mix. Remove from heat, stir to ensure an even coating of sauce and serve immediately with plain boiled rice.
The great difference with the homemade version is that there is a lightness and vibrancy to the sauce, not the heavy, cloying and over sweet sauce found in many establishments. At its' best this has a fresh, piquant flavour, and should not feel heavy after eating.
Enjoy!
Comments