Spice Kitchen Sweet & Sour Chicken

• 240g boneless & skinless chicken thighs,cut into bite-size chunks Oil, for deep frying
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped 2 spring onions, chopped

Batter

• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp sodium bicarbonate 1 tsp vinegar

Sauce

• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1⁄2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄2 tsp Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1⁄2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp Chinese spice blend

Method

1. Make the batter
   In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
   Add the water and vinegar and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil
   Pour enough oil into a deep saucepan or wok to deep-fry safely. Heat to 180°C (a cube of bread should turn golden in about 30 seconds).

3. Batter & fry the chicken
   Dip the chicken pieces into the batter, letting any excess drip off.
   Fry in batches for 4–5 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.
   Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

4. Prepare the sauce
   In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water and cornflour until smooth.
   Stir in the Chinese spice blend.

5. Build the flavour
   Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat.
   Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
   Add the green pepper and spring onions and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, keeping them vibrant and slightly crisp.

6. Thicken the sauce
   Pour the sauce into the pan and simmer gently, stirring, until thickened and glossy – about 2–3 minutes.

7. Bring it all together
   Add the crispy chicken to the sauce and toss gently to coat every piece.

8. Serve
   Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles, and enjoy while hot and sticky.

Little tips

• For extra crispiness, you can double-fry the chicken: fry once, rest for 2 minutes, then fry again for 1–2 minutes.

• Like it sharper? Add a splash more rice vinegar at the end.

• Pineapple chunks work beautifully stirred into the sauce if you fancy a classic twist.