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Sweet and sour chicken is a very popular dish and
there are several different ways to make it. In this recipe, black rice
vinegar heightens the tartness of the sauce. Here is another recipe for
Sweet and Sour Chicken with lemon.
Makes 3 - 4 servings of sweet and sour chicken, or 4 - 6 as part of a
meal
Ingredients:
Sweet
and Sour Chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup baby carrots
1 cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1 garlic clove
Marinade:
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp cornstarch
Batter:
1 - 2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 TB potato starch*
Sauce**:
4 1/2 TB rice vinegar
1 1/2 TB black rice vinegar
3/4 cup water
3 TB tomato paste
4 1/2 TB brown sugar
3/8 tsp chile sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 6 teaspoons water
3 1/4 cups oil for deep-frying and stir-frying
Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Marinate in the rice wine or
sherry and cornstarch for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables: mince the
garlic clove, peel and cut the cucumber into thin slices, and cut the
red pepper into cubes. Chop the baby carrots. Bring a large pot of
water to boil and blanch the carrots briefly in the boiling water.
Drain thoroughly.
In a small saucepan, add the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce
and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and keep warm.
To deep-fry the chicken: Preheat 3 cups of oil to 350 - 375 degrees
Fahrenheit. While waiting for the oil to heat, brush the chicken cubes
with the beaten egg and dip in the potato starch to cover. Deep-fry the
dredged chicken pieces in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the
wok. Deep-fry for 3 - 4 minutes until the chicken turns golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
To deep-fry the chicken a second time if desired: bring the oil
temperature up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep-fry the chicken in
batches, very briefly for less than a minute, until the chicken turns
brown. Drain on paper towels.
Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. When oil is hot, add the
garlic and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots. Stir-fry
for about 1 minute, then add the red peppers. Add the cucumber or save
to use as a garnish. Bring the sauce back up to a boil and add to the
wok, mixing with the vegetables. Add the chicken. Heat through and
serve over rice. Garnish with the cucumber if desired.
*Cornstarch can be substituted for the potato starch
**This recipe is designed to make extra sauce for mixing in with the
rice. It can easily be adjusted either up or down depending on how much
sauce you want - just be sure to keep the proportions constant. For 3/4
lb of chicken, reduce quantities by 1/3 - ie. use 3 TB rice vinegar, 1
TB black rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 TB tomato paste, etc.
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