Name: Sweet & sour chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: sunflower or vegetable oil for frying; 100ml soda water chilled; 140g self-raising flour; 25g cornflour; 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into chunks; spring onions finely shredded, to serve; 1 red pepper deseeded and chopped into chunks; 3 red chillies 1 cut into chunks, 2 halved and deseeded; 425g can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved; 4 star anise; 50g tamarind paste; 100g caster sugar; 100ml rice wine vinegar or Chinese vinegar

Sweet and sour chicken with rice in bowl

sunflower or vegetable oil
for frying
100ml soda water
chilled
140g self-raising flour
25g cornflour
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
cut into chunks
spring onions
finely shredded, to serve

For the sauce

1 red pepper
deseeded and chopped into chunks
3 red chillies
1 cut into chunks, 2 halved and deseeded
425g can pineapple
chunks, drained and juice reserved
4 star anise
50g tamarind
paste
100g caster sugar
100ml rice wine vinegar
or Chinese vinegar

Method

step 1
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.
step 2
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.
step 3
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. Stir the batter well.
step 4
Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low. Dust the chicken with cornflour, then dip into the batter.
step 5
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.
step 6
When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
step 7
Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side, and scatter with shredded spring onions.