Sweet Sour Chicken for CNY instead of a whole chicken? - Featured at Dishfolio on 31 Jan 2011 & at Group Recipes Best of the Week

 - FFor my Chinese New Year reunion dinner, I usually have another variation of chicken dish in addition to the steam chicken which my family likes.  This is because Stitch is not crazy about the steam chicken.  The past years, I have made Lemon Chicken which is his favorite. This reunion I am including this dish in my menu for a change. How about you? How do you prepare yours?

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)?

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into pieces?

2 stalks scallions, only the white part, cut into 2 inch length

1/4 fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped,

1 tbs vegetable oil

MARINATE FOR THE CHICKEN:

(A)

1 teaspoon soy sauce?

1/2 teaspoon corn flour?

1/2 teaspoon rice wine

BATTER TO COAT THE CHICKEN:

(B)

1/2 cup water?

2 oz. all-purpose flour?

1 oz. corn starch?

1/2 teaspoon baking soda?

1/2 egg?

1 teaspoon cooking oil?

1 small pinch of salt

½ tsp vanilla

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

(C)

1 1/2 tbs tomato ketchup?

1 tsp plum sauce?

1/8 tsp Chinese rice vinegar

1/2 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce?

1 tsp oyster sauce?

1 tsp corn starch?

1 tsp sugar?

2 tbs water

METHOD:

Marinate chicken breast pieces with (A) for 30 minutes. Mix (B) to form a thick batter and set aside. When the chicken is well marinated, add them into the batter and have them all well coated. In a deep wok, add in oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the chicken breast pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels. Heat up the wok again and add in some oil. Add chopped garlic and stir fry until fragrant, followed by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers before adding in the (C). As soon as the sauce thickens, add the already deep fried chicken breast pieces into the wok and stir well with the sauce. The last thing to add in is the white part of the spring onion. Mix well, and transfer to serving plate. This is delicious to serve with steamed white rice.