Sweet and Sour Pork

Serves: 4

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Marinate

• 400g pork scotch filet, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 3/8 tsp baking soda (bi-carb)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

Frying

• 5 tbsp cornstarch - for mixing
• 1/2 cup cornstarch - for coating
• frying oil

Sauce

• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 3 tbsp pineapple juice ( from 225g can of pineapple pieces in juice)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 4 tsp corn stach
• 1/2 cup water

Stir Fry

• oil
• 1 garlic glove, minced
• 2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 onion, cut into cubes
• 1.5 red & green capsicum, cut into cubes
• 1 cup pineapple pieces

Instructions:

1. Marinate Pork with marinate ingredients for 18 to 24 hours.

2. Place all sauce ingredients except water into a small bowl, mix until combined, then mix in water.

3. Have all ingredients prepped and ready.

4. Mix 5 tablespoons cornflour into the pork and leave for 5 minutes. 

5. Spread 1/2 cup cornflour in a shallow bowl. Coat pork, shaking off excess, and pile onto a plate.

6. Reserve cornflour for if pork is not half white when frying.

7. Pour enough oil into a small pot till 2.5 cm. Pork will start sizzling when you dip it in.

8. Cook pork in batches, do not crowd the pot, for 3 minutes until golden. Drain on rack.

9. Turn heat higher and refry the pork. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, or until pork is deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer to rack and repeat with remaining pork.

10. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.

11. Add garlic, ginger and onion, stir for 1 1/2 minutes. Add capsicum and stir for 2 minutes.

12. Add sauce and pineapple, then let it come to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes until it thickens.

13. Add pork and toss quickly to coat.

14. Serve!

Recipe from: https://www.recipetineats.com/sweet-and-sour-pork/

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

Time: 20 mins (+ at least 2 hours for marinating)

Serves: 2 (as a main) - 4 (as a side)

Ingredients

Marinate:

• 1 small cube fermented bean curd
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp shaoxing wine
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 500g boneless skinless chicken thighs, bite size cubes

Frying:

• Frying oil, at least a 750ml bottle
• 3/4 cup sweet potato flour
• 1 punnet thai basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sichuan pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper

Method

1. Smoosh fermented bean curd in a large mixing bowl with a spoon/spatula. Add oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, white pepper and garlic, and mix together. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
2. Heat frying oil to 180C.
3. Add sweet potato flour and coat the marinated chicken evenly.
4. Drop chicken one by one in the oil in batches so it doesn't overcrowd. Fry for 4 minutes. When it is done cooking, remove from oil and place on a baking pan lined with cooling rack. Repeat with remaining chickens. 
5. Increase oil temperature to 190C.
6. Mix salt, Sichuan pepper, white pepper, and paprika/cayenne in a small mixing bowl. 
7. Add half batch of fried chicken and fry for 30 seconds. Have a lid in one hand and basil in the other, add it into the oil and immediately close the lid. Remove lid after 5 seconds and remove chicken and basil. Repeat with the remaining batch. 
8. Sprinkle the salt mixture on top and serve immediately.

Recipe from: https://seonkyounglongest.com/taiwanese-fried-chicken/

update: made this with chicken breast and it was just too dry, stick to chicken thigh!

Honey Balsamic Chicken

Serves 2

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g Chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 1/4 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp water
• chopped parsley for garnishing

Method

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat skillet on medium heat and slowly pan fry chicken, skin side down, until both sides of the chicken become nicely browned and crispy. Remove the chicken and discard the chicken fat.
3. Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet, sauté the garlic until slightly browned, follow by honey, balsamic vinegar and water.
4. Add chicken back to the pan, lowering heat to simmer to reduce the sauce until slightly thickened, completing the cook of chicken (~2 mins). Flip chicken to coat both sides.
5. Remove from heat and garnish with parsley.

Recipe from https://rasamalaysia.com/honey-balsamic-chicken/