This dish is not Chinese. It's so American. (Ok, maybe it's Chinese-American). Usually I don't care for bastardized Chinese dishes because I think it takes away from the true deliciousness of real Chinese food, but now and then I'm okay with it. This dish I was very okay with, and I forgive it for not being 100% Chinese. The sweet (but not too much!) and sour tangy-ness was exactly what I needed today. I made very few changes: substituted yellow and red peppers with green peppers because they are cheaper and I am a poor college student (though I prefer red and yellow peppers all the way), and I added 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit. All in all, I am satisfied. Now to go tackle homework.
Sweet and Sour Chicken from Simply Recipes but was a guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen
Yield: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.