Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and sour chicken is a very popular dish and there are several
different ways
to make it. In this recipe, black rice vinegar heightens the tartness
of the sauce.
Here is another recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken with lemon.

Makes 3 - 4 servings of sweet and sour chicken, or 4 - 6 as part of a
meal

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup baby carrots
1 cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1 garlic clove

Marinade:
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp cornstarch
Batter:
1 - 2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 TB potato starch*

Sauce**:
4 1/2 TB rice vinegar
1 1/2 TB black rice vinegar
3/4 cup water
3 TB tomato paste
4 1/2 TB brown sugar
3/8 tsp chile sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 6 teaspoons water

3 1/4 cups oil for deep-frying and stir-frying



Directions:

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Marinate in the rice wine or
sherry and
cornstarch for 30 minutes.

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
briefly in the boiling water. Drain thoroughly.

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.

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.

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, very briefly
for less than
a minute, until the chicken turns brown. Drain on paper towels.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. When oil is hot, add the
garlic and
stir-fry briefly until aromatic. 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.

*Cornstarch can be substituted for the potato starch

**This recipe is designed to make extra sauce for mixing in with the
rice. It can
easily be adjusted either up or down depending on how much sauce you
want -
just be sure to keep the proportions constant. For 3/4 lb of chicken,
reduce
quantities by 1/3 - ie. use 3 TB rice vinegar, 1 TB black rice
vinegar, 1/2 cup water,
2 TB tomato paste, etc.






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