Good Chinese food aims to balance the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, pungent, bitter and salty. This recipe illustrates four of these tastes brilliantly. The saltiness of soya sauce tempered by sweet and sour notes and rounded off by the pungency of Chilli explodes in a wonderful combination of flavour that is unsurpassed. Great as a family meal or for entertaining friends, this dish was made to become a firm favourite
Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and cut into strips (approx. 1 inch wide, 2 inches long)
Mix the flour with ground black pepper and salt
Coat the chicken with 3 tablespoons of the seasoned flour and keep in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes
Mix eggs together until combined and place in a container suitable for dipping chicken
Place remaining flour on a plate
Heat the oil in a pan or a wok until hot enough for frying.
Working in small batches, dip the previously floured chicken pieces into the egg and then coat in the flour on the plate. It is essential to fry in small batches to ensure that chicken pieces are crispy and golden brown.
Place on paper towels to drain excess oil
Once all fried keep warm in the oven
For the sauce
Mix together chicken stock, lemon juice, soya/tamari, honey, sweet Chilli sauce, and cornflour and mix until smooth. Keep to one side until the next step is completed,
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a pot. When it begins to bubble add ginger, garlic, bell pepper, and chillies and fry until cooked through. Add mixed ingredients above and stir until the sauce thickens.
Add chopped spring onions and stir for a further one minute
Finally, add the chicken pieces to the sauce and ensure that all pieces are well coated. Serve with white rice