This has always been a big takeaway favourite. I have made it with chicken thighs because I think they’re juicier, but you can use breast meat if you prefer. I also shallow-fried the chicken pieces, but you can deep-fry them or even cook them in an air fryer. Recipe adapted from Simply Speedy Chinese by Suzie Lee (Quadrille, £24) Photography by Uyen Luu.
Prep
5 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
chicken thighs 250 g
cornflour 70 g
plain flour 60 g
egg 1 (beaten)
lemon 2 (juice)
caster sugar 3 tbsp
basmati microwave rice 250 g
little gem lettuce 1
Method
Prep the chicken
Season the chicken with salt.
In a bowl mix together 3/4 of the cornflour and the plain flour. Add the beaten egg to another bowl.
Toss the chicken in the flours, then plunge it into the beaten egg and back into the flour so it is fully covered.
Cook the chicken
Add a dash of vegetable oil to a wok over a high heat.
Fry the chicken for 8–10 minutes until golden and cooked on both sides. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
Make the lemon sauce
Juice the lemon. Then combine the lemon juice, caster sugar, the reserved cornflour, and 200ml water in a small saucepan and whisk until combined.
Gently bring to the boil until the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Pour through a sieve (strainer).
Cook the rice & Plate Up
Cook the microwave basmati rice according to the packet instructions.
Separate the little gem lettuce leaves.
Slice the chicken and serve with the lemon sauce, lettuce and rice. You can also add some lemon slices if you like.
