Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cut ½ white onion and ½ cup bell pepper into 1-inch chunks and set aside

If you are using fresh pineapple, core and peel it and then cut them into 1-inch chunks and set aside. If you are using canned pineapple, drain it and cut them into 1-inch chunks if you are using pineapple rings. Put them in a bowl and set them aside.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and place it in a bowl.

Grate the 1 slice ginger, 2 cloves garlic, and ¼ onion and put it all in the bowl with the chicken.Alternatively, you can also chop the ginger, garlic, and onion into small pieces and blitz them in a food processor. You may also need to add the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine into the food processor with the ginger, garlic, and onions to help it blend more smoothly into a paste. Add the blended aromatics into the bowl with the chicken.

Add 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and ½ tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine to the bowl and mix everything very well.

Let it marinate for 1 hour.

Once the chicken has finished marinating, in the bowl or plate - separate them slightly so they are not clumped together into a tall pile.

Add half the cornstarch over the chicken and gently toss it until each piece has been coated with the cornstarch.Let it rest for 5 minutes until the cornstarch has absorbed the marinade and moisture, and the batter looks gummy and moist.

Add the rest of the cornstarch to a large plate and dip each piece of chicken into it one by one until each piece is well coated.

If you are using a deep fryer, set the temperature to 350F (180C) and wait for the oil to get to temp.If you are using a frying pan or shallow pot, set the heat to medium heat and make sure there is at least 1 inch of oil in the pan. To test if the oil is hot enough in a pot, use a wooden chopstick or the back of a wooden spoon and dunk it in the oil. If it starts to bubble, the oil is hot enough to start deep frying.

Add the chicken in when the oil is hot, careful not to overcrowd the pan. (Depending on how big your pan is, you may need to do it in 2 batches). Cook the chicken for approximately 3 minutes until it is crispy and browned.

Once the chicken has finished deep frying, remove it from the oil for about 1 minute, and then re-fry (double fry) it again for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Remove the crispy fried chicken and let it drain on a rack or a plate with something absorbent like newspaper or paper bag and set aside.

In a clean frying pan, add 2 tablespoons oil, and set the stove to medium heat.

Add in ¼ cup tomato paste when the oil is hot and toast the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes until the oil has turned orange

Add in ½ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water. Slowly pour it into the sauce but make sure you are constantly stirring it so it doesn't clump.

Once the sauce has thickened, add in the peppers, pineapples, and onions and cook it for 1 minute. Use your spatula to separate the onion chunks into smaller pieces.

Add in the crispy chicken pieces and stir fry them to coat each piece of chicken with the sweet and sour sauce. Once all the chicken pieces have been coated, turn off the heat.Try not to cook the crispy chicken in the sauce for too long, this will make the batter soggy. You just want to quickly coat the crispy chicken with the sweet and sour sauce for no more than 30 seconds to 1 minute and then plate it.

Plate it and serve with rice! Happy Eats! 🙂