SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 20 MINS

✦ ¹⁄ 3 cup plain flour ✦ 1 egg, lightly beaten ✦ ¼ cup water ✦ 500g chicken thighs, cut into 1.5cm strips ✦ vegetable oil, to shallow-fry ✦ 1 red onion, sliced ✦ 1 green capsicum, seeded, thinly sliced ✦ 1 carrot, thinly sliced ✦ 2 celery stalks, trimmed, thinly sliced ✦ 1 tbsp cornflour ✦ 1 cup chicken stock ✦ ¼ cup white vinegar ✦ 2 tbsp honey ✦ 1 tbsp soy sauce ✦ ½ pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced ✦ coriander leaves, steamed rice, to serve

1 In a medium bowl, whisk flour, egg and water together to a smooth batter. Add chicken and stir to coat well.

2 In a wok or large frying pan, heat oil on high. Working in 2 batches, drain chicken from batter and lower into hot oil, frying 3-4 mins each batch until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Drain oil from wok, reserving 1 tbsp.

3 Reheat reserved oil on high. Stir-fry onion, capsicum, carrot and celery 2 mins until tender-crisp.

4 In a medium jug, whisk cornflour with stock, vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Add to wok with pineapple, stirring until sauce boils and thickens. Simmer 3 mins.

5 Return chicken to wok with sauce and reheat gently. To serve, sprinkle with coriander. Accompany with rice.