Sweet and Sour Chicken

Tea tonight care of John Torode from Masterchef.  Colin says this is as good as the Chinese!  Being a veggie I did mushroom for me.  Leave out the chilli if you don't like heat.

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins
Cook 45 mins

Sauce can be frozen

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

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

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