I like Chinese food as much as the next man, but I don't seem to cook it very often. We were in the mood for something spicy though, so I dug out this easy recipe that I haven't done for a while. Only two more night shifts to go, and I intend to celebrate my return to the real world with something more complicated - the weather's getting colder, which puts me in a mood for stews.
Anyway, back to tonight and start by chopping two chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
Do you find that certain techniques or styles seem to come around for a few days in a row, then you don't do them again for a while? Here we are again coating meat in seasoned flour - I've used cornflour today, with salt and chilli flakes, but plain flour will do nicely if that's what you've got in the cupboard.
You'll need to fry the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. I got a nice little production line going, coating the chicken in cornflour then straight into the pan. You can do it without throwing flour everywhere if you want to. Resist the temptation to move the chicken around in the pan (I wonder why we have this compulsion to move frying things around?) as it needs to stay still to get the cornflour to turn in to a nice crispy coating. Just turn once so that each side gets browned.
While the chicken's cooking, you've got time to chop some spring onions and chilli peppers, crush a clove of garlic, and make up a sauce of two tablespoonfuls white wine vinegar (Chinese rice wine vinegar would be perfect for authenticity's sake, but it's not easy to find) and two tablespoonfuls of soy sauce.
Put each batch of chicken aside, into a 50C oven to keep warm, until the whole lot's done.
From here it all comes together really quickly, so work fast!
Put the spring onions, chilli peppers and garlic into the pan along with a teaspoonful of ginger paste (or fresh ginger, if you prefer) and a good handful of dry roasted peanuts. Fry for a few seconds, until coated in the thick cornflour paste. Now add the sauce. It will sizzle and start to evaporate really quickly.
Put the chicken back into the pan and get it all coated - it'll be a really sticky sauce by now.
Serve over plain white rice, and garnish with some more spring onions if you want to.
Taste verdict
I haven't made this for ages, and I have no idea why not - it was delicious! Quality chicken helps of course: it was really tender. It was a bit light on veg, and I wish I'd served it over pak choi or maybe just added some mangetout or beansprouts. Next time.
Financial verdict
2 chicken breasts - about £4
Pack of spring onions - 70p
2 chilli peppers - free, off the chilli plant
Clove of garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, peanuts, 60g rice - pennies, from store
£2.35 each. Most of the ingredients are store-cupboard items, but chicken is a luxury ingredient. If I'm honest it would have gone to three decent-sized portions, but it was much nicer eaten straight away.
The skinny
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
Coat in seasoned cornflour and fry in batches. Set aside and keep warm once cooked
Chop some spring onions and a chilli pepper, and peel and crush a clove of garlic
Make a sauce of two tablespoonfuls white wine vinegar and two tablespoonfuls soy sauce
When all the chicken is cooked and set aside, fry the onions, chilli and garlic in the pan with a teaspoonful of ginger paste for a few seconds
Add the sauce. It will sizzle and start to evaporate very quickly
Return the chicken to the pan and coat all over with sauce
Serve over plain white rice, garnished with spring onions
WeightWatchers ProPoints
10
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