Sweet And Sour Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3/4 cup baby carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons chinese rice wine or 2 teaspoons dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 -2 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons potato starch (*)
• 4 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/8 teaspoon chili sauce (to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with
• 6 teaspoons water
• 3 1/4 cups oil, for deep-frying and stir-frying

Recipe

• 1 cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. marinate in the rice wine and cornstarch for 30 minutes.
• 2 while the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables: mince the garlic clove, peel and cut the cucumber into thin slices, and cut the red pepper into cubes. chop the baby carrots. bring a large pot of water to boil and blanch the carrots in the boiling water. drain.
• 3 in a small saucepan, add the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce and bring to a boil. turn the heat to low and keep warm.
• 4 to deep-fry the chicken: preheat 3 cups of oil to 350 - 375 degrees fahrenheit. while waiting for the oil to heat, brush the chicken cubes with the beaten egg and dip in the potato starch to cover. deep-fry the dredged chicken pieces in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the wok. deep-fry for 3 - 4 minutes until the chicken turns golden brown. drain on paper towels.
• 5 to deep-fry the chicken a second time if desired: bring the oil temperature up to 400 degrees fahrenheit. deep-fry the chicken in batches, until the chicken turns brown. drain on paper towels.
• 6 drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. when oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly. add the carrots. stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the red peppers. add the cucumber or save to use as a garnish. bring the sauce back up to a boil and add to the wok, mixing with the vegetables. add the chicken. heat through and serve over rice. garnish with the cucumber if desired.
• 7 *cornstarch can be substituted for the potato starch.