Love sweet and sour chicken? You’ll love this dish, with crispy chicken thigh pieces tossed in a sticky, sweet and savoury sauce
Prep:20 mins
Serves 4
5 skinless and boneless chicken thighs (around 500g)1½ tbsp light soy sauce1 tbsp Shaoxing wine1 tbsp oyster sauce½ tsp white pepper1½ tbsp cornflour1 eggvegetable oil, for deep-frying½ spring onion, green parts sliced diagonally, to servesesame seeds, to serve
STEP 1Slice the chicken thigh fillets into bite-sized chunks then put in a bowl with the light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, white pepper, cornflour, egg and ½ tsp salt. Mix well, cover, then leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hr.STEP 2To make the batter, combine the cornflour, plain flour, white pepper and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the marinated chicken and mix until all the pieces are evenly coated.STEP 3Fill a deep pan with 4-5cm of vegetable oil, ensuring it is no more than a third full, and heat on high until a drop of batter sizzles quickly when dropped in. Lower the heat to medium and carefully add the chicken pieces in batches. Fry for 5 mins, until golden and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with kitchen paper as you go. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 mins, then heat the oil again and fry it for a further 1-2 mins to ensure maximum crispiness. Transfer again to a plate lined with kitchen paper.STEP 4Make the sauce by combining the light soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, ketchup, garlic and ginger along with 5 tbsp water in a pan over a medium-low heat. Once the sauce is simmering, mix the cornflour with 3 tsp water, add to the pan and stir until thickened. Stir in the chicken to coat each piece in the sauce. Garnish with the spring onion and sesame seeds to serve.
