Best Ever Sweet Sour Chicken Food

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Set aside ½ cup of pineapple juice from your can of pineapple, and reserve ⅔ cup of the pineapple chunks (if using). Set aside.
• Combine the hot water, salt, sugar, and ketchup. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved, and then add the vinegar and pineapple juice (if using). If not using pineapple juice, replace with ½ cup water or chicken stock. Set aside.
• Cut your chicken into uniform 1 inch chunks (for even cooking) and place into a bowl. Add the garlic and onion powders, sesame oil, white pepper and salt. Mix until all pieces are uniformly coated, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Any excess water should be fully absorbed by the chicken. If not, mix the chicken again and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
• Mix together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, and add 2/3 cup of ice water. Use a fork to mix until a batter is formed, and stir in 1 tablespoon of oil. Set aside.
• The amount of oil you need depends on the size of the pot you will use. Using a larger pot uses more oil, but allows you to cook the chicken in fewer batches. Using a smaller pot uses less oil, but you'll have to fry more batches of chicken. We usually go for a smaller pot, so we have less leftover oil. Heat the oil in a small pot until it reaches 335°F/170°C.
• Place 5 to 6 pieces of marinated chicken into the batter. Use a chopstick, fork, or your fingers to coat the chicken in the batter and place each piece slowly into the oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to carefully turn the chicken so all sides are uniformly fried. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until the batter is a light golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and let any excess oil drain off before placing onto a rack or paper towel lined plate.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a wok over medium high heat, and add the red onion and peppers. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
• Next, add the sweet and sour sauce you prepared earlier and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the sauce is simmering.
• Combine the cornstarch and water to make a uniform slurry. While stirring the sweet and sour sauce, drizzle the slurry in gradually until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon (you may not need all of the slurry). Turn down the heat and give the sauce a quick taste--now is the time to add more salt, vinegar or sugar if desired.
• Add the pineapple chunks (if using) and stir until warmed through. Now is the time to refry the chicken to make them nice and crispy. Heat the oil up to 335°F/170°C and fry the chicken in two batches for about 45 seconds each time. Then add the chicken pieces to your sauce, and gently toss with your wok spatula until the chicken is coated. Serve immediately!

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, garlic and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Put in the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 1 hr or ideally overnight. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Tip the rice wine, vinegar and sugar into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the garlic and ketchup. Continue to cook for 10 mins until syrupy, then remove from the heat and set aside. To prepare the toppings, put the coriander and spring onion in a bowl of iced water to perk them up. Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan, if using, then crush using a pestle and mortar. Mix with 1 tbsp sea salt and set aside.
• Mix the beaten egg into the chicken mix, then stir in the cornflour and five-spice powder until the chicken is coated. Set aside. Pour the oil into a wok until it's no more than a third full and heat to 170C, or heat a deep-fat fryer to the same temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a bit of the batter into the oil; when the batter sizzles and turns golden within 1 min, it's ready. Fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 mins until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce and add the soy sauce, stock pot or cube, vegetables, pineapple and ginger. Simmer for 3 mins until the veg is slightly softened. Mix the chicken with the sauce and serve with the coriander and spring onions, salt and pepper mix and some rice on the side.

BEST EVER SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add the oil, sugar, and vinegar to a small saucepan set on 1/4 full heat stirring until sugar dissolves in vinegar, then add the pineapple juice.
• Add the paprika and other spices followed by the ketchup, then the water.
• Turn up the heat a bit and stir frequently almost bringing to a boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Add cornstarch and flour, use a whisk to make sure no clumps form. Toss in the green peppers.
• Keep on low heat stirring occasionally, cook your chicken however you like it, I fry mine. If your sauce starts getting a bit to thick don't worry just add a small amount of water and stir.
• When you're finished cooking your chicken cut it up and toss it in the sauce which should now be almost ready. Cook it in the sauce for 4-7 minutes.
• Remove from heat and enjoy! For best results eat it all the day you make it.

BEST EVER SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large skillet; add onion, green pepper and carrot. Cook 5 minutes until onion is softened.
• Stir in broth, tomato sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, pineapple with juice, and ketchup.
• Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• While that's cooking, soak bread in milk in large bowl until milk is absorbed.
• Mix together with chicken, zucchini, egg, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Shape 12 meatballs, approx 2 tablespoons mixture each.
• Drop meatballs into the simmering sauce, cook 15 minutes or until cooked through.
• Turn over once during cooking; remove from heat and stir in rice.
• Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork before serving.

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• 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. Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low.
• Stir the batter well. 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.