Proper Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken

糖醋酱

Proper Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken . After travelling Asia for two months I tried sweet and sour chicken several times! Always crispy, even when coated with the sauce, I needed to recreate it. It’s much better to create your own Chinese ‘fakeaway’ than ordering in. Not only is it cheaper, but also tastier. The time it takes to deliver your crispy sweet and sour chicken renders the batter soft and soggy. Making it yourself means you can eat it as soon as it is ready, keeping the chicken crunchy and crisp.

I think I have came up with the perfect batter ratio for crisp, crunchy batter every time.

The most important step is to cut up the chicken into really small pieces, it may be tempting to have larger chunks, but it’ll never get crunchy enough. Another top tip is not to overcrowd the pan or the oil will be too cool. Use a thermometer to ensure the oil stays at 180C, if it lowers then the temperature won’t be hot enough to crisp the chicken up properly and you’ll end up with soggy pieces, not crisp and crunchy chicken for your sweet and sour sauce. If you want the chicken to stay extra crisp, serve it separate from the sauce and use the sweet and sour sauce as a dip instead.

This recipe was created with help from Aberdeenshire local producer, Bannerman Butcher providing me with their award winning chicken breast. The best thing about their chicken is the fact they only sell chicken sourced from Scotland- I wouldn’t go anywhere else for this reason!

RECIPE

SERVES 2

DIFFICULTY LEVEL Home Cook

TIME 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the chicken

2 chicken breasts (I recommend Bannerman Butcher)
50g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon each of salt and white pepper
400ml ice cold water

For the sauce:

2 heaped tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 heaped tablespoons tomato purée
150ml white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons caster sugar
200g fresh pineapple (or one tin)
100ml pineapple juice (or juice from tin if using)
1 teaspoon each of fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil
100ml water
1 red pepper
1 small onion
(You May need cornflour too)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Begin by slicing the chicken into small pieces. The best size to get really crispy crunchy chicken is about 1 inch pieces. The smaller your chunks, the crispier it will get.

2. In a bowl, combine the rest of the dry chicken ingredients. Gradually whisk in the water until you have a smooth batter. It should have the consistency of double cream.

3. Chop the pepper and onion into large chunks and set aside

4. Combine all the remaining sauce ingredients apart from pineapple in a bowl or jug

3. Fill a large, heavy saucepan half full with sunflower or vegetable oil and place over a high heat. It will take around 4-5 minutes to heat up.

3. When the oil is 180C (use a thermometer) carefully and individually dip the chicken in the batter and then the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan or the heat will decrease and you will end up with soggy chicken. Do around five chicken pieces at a time. When they are deep golden and really crispy, remove and place on a baking tray and put in the oven. This will allow the chicken to stay crisp and hot whilst you cook the rest.

4. When all the chicken is done, heat a wok over a high heat. Add a tiny drizzle of oil and fry the pepper and onion for just 30 seconds. Add the sauce and allow to bubble and reduce for 2 minutes. If it is not thickened to your liking, mix one tablespoon of cornflour with one tablespoon of water into a paste and stir the paste into the sauce. Add the chicken and pineapple and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

TIPS

I had the sweet and sour chicken on its own, but it would go well with egg fried rice.

If you enjoyed my Proper Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken, try another of my ‘fakeaway’ series: Homemade Pizza with Dominos Garlic & Herb Dip