Sweet and Sour Chicken | Chef John’s Cooking Class

Cut chicken into small long strips first; then cut into two small pieces. Shred onion into small pieces. Cut green onion into segments. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, salt, Shaoxing wine, ground white pepper, and sugar; knead with fingers until mixed evenly.

Making the batter: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, egg, white vinegar, water, and oil; mix well; set aside for 20 minutes. (Note: The amount of water may vary ）

Add 1.5 qt oil to a medium wok, set the heat at medium. As the oil temperature reaches 280F°-300F°/120°C-150C°, add the chicken into the batter; then place the chicken into the wok one piece at a time. The chicken will float up to the surface; fry until slightly golden; remove from the wok; put them on the paper towels to absorb oil.

When the oil temperature is back up again, re-fry the chicken until golden; Remove from the oil, and drain.

Making the sweet and sour sauce: With a large pan over high heat, add oil, onion, and green onion; stir-fry until fragrant; add tomato paste, water, salt, rock sugar, haw flakes; stir until all ingredients are melted.

Then, add Worcestershire sauce to seasoning; remove the solids; add white vinegar, and potato slurry to the wok; stir to mix well; add bell pepper and chicken; stir until chicken pieces are coated with the sauce.

Enjoy!