Speedy Black Vinegar Crispy Chicken

Name: Speedy Black Vinegar Crispy Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: chinese

Suzie Lee

Crispy, golden chicken strips tossed in a sticky-sweet-sharp sauce that's bursting with flavour, deep savoury soy, caramelised honey, and a tang from the garlic. Traditionally this recipe uses Chinese Black Vinegar, but you can use a good balsamic vinegar instead as a brilliant substitute, as we are here. Weeknight-fast, restaurant-good. You can bake, air fry or pan fry the chicken, whichever you prefer. You can use chicken thighs or breasts.

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Ingredients

chicken thighs 400 g (sliced)
cornflour 8 ½ tbsp
soy sauce 4 tbsp
sesame oil 1 tsp
egg 2 (beaten)
plain flour 8 tbsp
garlic cloves 1 (minced)
ginger 30 g (sliced)
onion 1 (sliced)
bell pepper 1 (sliced)
spring onions 2 (chopped)
balsamic vinegar 4 tbsp
honey 4 tbsp
basmati microwave rice 500 g

Method

Marinate the chicken

Preheat the oven to 220C if you are baking your chicken strips. Marinate the chicken in advance in, this can be done overnight and left in the fridge, or for at least 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken thighs into strips and add to a bowl with 1 teaspoon cornflour, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the sesame oil*, plus a pinch of fine sea salt and white pepper**. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.

Coat & cook the chicken

Add the beaten eggs to the marinated chicken and mix well.
In a separate bowl, add the plain flour, 8 tablespoons of cornflour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Coat the chicken in this mixture.
To bake the chicken - line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Shake off any excess flour on the chicken. Space out the chicken strips. on the tray and spray with some oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. You can also air fry at 200C for 15 - 18 minutes, or fry - please see step below.
To fry the chicken. Heat oil for frying. If you don't have a deep fat fryer, shallow fry in about 1cm of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Test the temperature by dipping in the handle end of a wooden spoon; the oil is ready when bubbles fizz immediately around it. Fry the chicken in batches without crowding the pan, about 1-2 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through; take care not to overcook.

Make the sauce

Mince the garlic clove. Peel and slice the ginger. Finely slice the onion and bell pepper. Chop the spring onions into approx 2 inch chunks.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat a little vegetable oil and fry off the onions and spring onions with a pinch of salt and then add in the bell peppers. Add 1 tablespoon of water to help soften the veg. Cook for another 2 minutes then take the veg out of the pan.
Add a splash of oil to the same pan and heat to high. Fry the sliced ginger and minced garlic for a couple of minutes, adding a splash of water if they start to catch. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, honey and remaining soy sauce.
Now let this all bubble away and you will start to smell it caramelising, bubble for another 3 - 4 minutes until sticky. Taste it - if you want it sharper add more vinegar and if you want it sweeter add more honey.
Return the onions and pepper to the pan, allow the sauce to thicken, then add the *chicken and toss quickly to coat in the sauce** and cook until heated through.

Cook the rice

Cook the basmati microwave rice according to the packet instructions.

Plate Up

Plate up the chicken with the rice.

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