Try this Sweet and Sour Chicken I Recipe recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks drained (juice reserved)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cups water divided
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 drops orange food color
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut int
- 2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
- 2 green bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- Carbohydrate 63.5348860848487 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 75.8866233002925 g
- Fiber 2.25455479083648 g
- Protein 6.5026318375665 g
- Saturated Fat 5.65513654617547 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (295g)
- Sodium 805.419927646288 mg
- Sugar 61.2803312940123 g
- Trans Fat 1.12961713382524 g
- Calories 957 calories
Step-by-step
- In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, and orange food coloring. Heat to boiling. Turn off heat. Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until mixture thickens.
- Combine flour, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and egg. Add 1 1/2 cups water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces, and stir until chicken is well coated.
- Heat oil in skillet or wok to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Fry chicken pieces in hot oil 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken, and drain on paper towels.
- When ready to serve, layer green peppers, pineapple chunks, and cooked chicken pieces on a platter. Pour hot sweet and sour sauce over top.
The ingredient list provides quantities, but it omits how the batter behaves once the water hits the flour, oil, and egg mixture. Achieving a coating that clings to the meat rather than sliding off into the frying medium requires whisking the water in very slowly until the mixture resembles heavy cream. When frying chicken pieces in oil heated to 360 degrees F, thermometers are rarely used in home kitchens, meaning visual cues must dictate doneness. Watch for the bubbling around the chicken to slow down significantly and the crust to turn a pale golden brown after about 10 minutes of frying. Pulling them out too early leaves the flour gummy, while waiting until they turn deep amber ensures the interior is cooked through without burning the exterior. Chemically, the sauce relies on the polarity of distilled white vinegar balancing the high volume of white sugar, creating an acidic buffer that cuts through the heavy fat content absorbed from the deep fryer. Cornstarch slurry acts as a stabilizing hydrocolloid when heated, gelatinizing starches to trap the liquids into a glossy sheen that coats the platter ingredients evenly.
