Thai Sweet & Sour Chicken

There are many, many versions of sweet & sour sauces out there. From the bright red style that one may find at a Chinese buffet, to the more discreet, spicy version such as the one I am sharing here. It really is a delicious dish that packs a punch when it comes to flavour. It is best to use fresh pineapple in this dish though at certain times of the year, tropical fruits can be hard to find where I live. I don't let that hold me back! Tinned pineapple is perfectly acceptable though I would leave it to drain well to remove as much of the syrup as possible. Enjoy with basmati or jasmine rice.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

2-4 birds eye red chillies (depending on what you can handle!), roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 tbsp salt

6 tbsp sugar

250ml white vinegar or rice wine vinegar

500gr boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red onion, roughly chopped

1 red pepper, roughly chopped

1/2 cucumber, halved lengthways & cut into 1 cm slices

200gr pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces

Spring onions, finely sliced

A handful of cashew nuts (optional)

Sesame seeds (optional)

Begin by making your sweet & sour sauce.

Using a pestle & mortar, crush the chilli & garlic together to create a paste.

In a small pot, bring the vinegar, salt & sugar to a simmer over medium heat.

Once bubbling, add the garlic & chilli paste & continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced & become thick & sticky (a consistency similar to honey). Set aside.

Place a frying pan on the stove on medium high heat.

Add a drizzle of sunflower oil & when sizzling, add the chicken.

Stir very regularly for 3 minutes while the chicken browns.

Add the red onion & red pepper. Stir fry a further 3 minutes before adding the cucumber & pineapple (if you are using fresh pineapple).

Stir fry a further 3 minutes & then add the sweet & sour sauce (if you are using tinned pineapple you will add it at this point).

Reduce the heat to low & cover with a lid. Allow to simmer 2 minutes.

Serve with rice & a generous sprinkle of spring onion.

If you are in the mood to dazzle, throw a few cashew nuts & sesame seeds over the top when serving!