given how i've never made a sweet and sour sauce myself, this experiment sounded worth trying. for a total of about 30-45 minutes to prepare and cook, we ended up with a dish with approximately four servings.
ingredients:
- 1.25 pounds chicken (boneless breast meat, cut into chunks)
- one 12 oz package of frozen mixed vegetables (this packet had peas, carrots, broccoli, and water chestnuts)
- one 20 oz can of pineapple chunks
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- cayenne pepper
- ground ginger
- cornstarch
preparation:
for the sweet and sour sauce, mix the sugar, honey, soy, and vinegar into a sauce pan. add most of the pineapple juice from the can (approximately 3/4 cup) and simmer, stirring occasionally. after simmering for maybe 5-10 minutes, turn the heat off and leave for later steps.
add cornstarch (i didn't measure, but perhaps 1/3 of a cup) to a bread bag. season the cornstarch with ground ginger and cayenne, and shake the bag to mix evenly. place chunks of chicken in the bag and shake to coat thoroughly.
put oil in a large frying pan and bring to a high heat. add the chicken to the pan to brown. once the chicken is cooked, add the vegetables to the pan and stir until vegetables are warm. add the pineapple and pour the sauce over everything. stir until everything is coated evenly. allow to simmer for several minutes. remove and serve over rice.
verdict:
there were some flaws in this recipe -- but nothing that made it inedible. the largest problem may have been how i cooked the chicken. in my case, i probably underseasoned the cornstarch (more pepper and ginger would've been okay), and i didn't start with a hot enough pan. the chicken didn't brown quite enough, and there wasn't quite enough crispiness on the outside.
also, the proportions for stir fry were a little off; i probably could've used a little less chicken and a little more vegetable.
finally, next time i may need to reduce the sweet and sour sauce a little further; it was a little more liquidy than i had anticipated. maybe letting the sauce sit overnight would have helped it become more viscous.
all in all, though, i am pleased with myself and would try something similar again in the future.
