A More Nuanced Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
-
Rice
- 2 cups brown basmati rice
- 4 1⁄2 cups water
-
Sauce
- 1⁄3 cup apple cider vinegar (I love Bragg)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ginger (fresh or jarred paste)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
-
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast, in 1-inch cubes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
- peanut oil (for frying)
-
Stir-fry
- 2 green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 green peppers, julienned (sometimes I use one of those frozen veggie mixes with peppers, carrots, white onions, etc)
- 8 ounces pineapple, canned, in bite-sized pieces, juice reserved
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground (or 1 dried round Asian pepper, chopped)
- 1 tablespoon wine (like sake, Chinese wine, or sherry)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
directions
- Rinse brown rice gently as you bring water to a boil.
- Add rice to boiling water.
- Cover tightly with lid, set to simmer, and set timer for 45 minutes.
- Mix vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Set aside.
- After the rice has been cooking for 30 minutes, begin making your chicken.
- Heat about 3 cups peanut oil in a large wok, saucepan or deep fryer. It is ready when it almost begins to smoke or at 375°F.
- Dip chicken in the egg, and roll in cornstarch.
- Add part of the meat, one piece at a time. Stir a little to keep the pieces from sticking together. Do not crowd your pan--cook in batches if you must.
- Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking dish lined with paper towel.
- Frying the chicken should take about 15 minutes, and by this time, you will need to remove the rice from the heat. DO NOT OPEN YOUR RICE; just sit it back on a cold burner and let it be for 15 minutes.
- Saute garlic briefly in 3 T oil, making sure not to burn the garlic.
- Add cayenne pepper, green pepper, green onion, pineapple, and meat. Stir well.
- Sprinkle in wine; stir in the sauce mixture you made earlier. Bring mixture to boil.
- If the sauce seems too thick, you may add some of the reserved pineapple juice and bring to a boil again. Taste for seasoning and acidity--add more vinegar for more sour, and more pineapple juice or sugar for additional sweetness.
- Mix 2t cornstarch with 4t water, and cook until the mixture is somewhat thick and clear.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I am a grad of the University of Oklahoma but transplanted myself to Los Angeles in the fall of 2009. I'm also a photographer and studio manager--my partner Christina and I own a studio specializing in modern portraiture of people and animals. In my free time, I like to play with our four cats, take photographs, listen to music, tweak recipes (especially to make delicious but healthy foods), write poetry, and read. <br /> <br />My current cookbook crush is Molly Katzen's Sunlight Cafe. <br /> <br />My pet peeves are overly sugary foods--I never use artificial sweeteners, but I will try to replace them with better natural alternatives and/or cut the amount in a recipe--and hydrogenated oils. They are the fastest route to early death! I also try and stay away from white flour and other refined junk whenever possible. Fiber is my friend. ;)</p>