Sweet and Sour Shandong chicken

Sweet and Sour Shandong chicken - this dish is from Northern China (the province of Shandong) and features a sweet garlicky sauce (garlic and leeks are heavily used in Shandong cuisine) with a subtle hot and sour flavour. No tomato ketchup is used!

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 kg/2 lbs chicken breast fillet, cut into bite-size pieces, dusted with cornstarch
1-2 leeks, white parts only, cut into slivers

Sauce ingredients
1-2 red finger chillies, de-seeded and sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp chilli paste (sambal ulek or cili boh are fine)
250 ml/1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
60 ml/1/4 cup white rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar, honey or corn/golden syrup

2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

Combine sauce ingredients (except cornstarch mixture) in a saucepan and bring to a boil slowly over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. When oil is hot, add garlic and stir fry over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Make sure the garlic does not burn and acquire a bitter taste! Remove garlic and set aside.

Increase heat to high, add half the chicken pieces and stir fry for about 5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from wok and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Return sauce to the wok and heat until it starts to bubble. Thicken with cornstarch mixture, adjust for taste, then add chicken pieces, stirring to ensure that they are evenly coated. Serve on a platter garnished with the crispy fried garlic and slivered leeks.


Sweet and Sour Plum Sauce Prawns

Ingredients
1 kg/2 lbs medium-large prawns, de-veined and feelers trimmed but shells left on
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
Oil for deep frying
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 pc ginger, 2.5 cm/1 inch in length, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, diced
3 tbsp chilli sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup or puree
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 egg white, beaten
Cucumber and tomato slices, chopped coriander leaves, for garnish


Sauce ingredients
400 ml/1.5 cups anchovy stock or water (make from scratch with ikan bilis or use an anchovy stock cube)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp white rice or distilled vinegar
2 tbsp Chinese plum sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper

Season prawns with salt and pepper and set aside for 15 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients.

Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry prawns for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.

Drain oil, leaving approximately 3 tbsp. Heat wok and saute garlic, shallots and ginger until fragrant. Stir in combined chilli, tomato and Hoisin sauces.

Pour in sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Add prawns and stir-fry until prawns are cooked through.

Thicken with cornstarch mixture and stir in beaten egg white.

Transfer to serving dish and garnish with cucumber and tomato slices and coriander leaves.


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