Sweet and sour chicken balls
Ingredients
For the chicken balls
- 400g/14oz minced chicken
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- cornflour, for dusting
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 100ml/3Β½fl oz water
- 60g/2oz soft light brown sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz light soy sauce
- 75ml/2Β½fl oz rice wine vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz tomato ketchup
- 2 red peppers, finely sliced
- 250g/9oz canned pineapple chunks, drained
- small bunch spring onions, sliced at an angle
To serve
- plain white rice
Method
For the chicken balls, place the chicken, spring onions, Chinese five-spice powder, crushed garlic, red chilli and soy sauce into a bowl and mix to completely combine.
Mould the mince mixture into golf ball-sized balls, then dredge in cornflour.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken balls and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly, until golden-brown all over and completely cooked through. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
For the sauce, place the cornflour, water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ketchup into a pan over a medium heat and mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes, then add the peppers, pineapple chunks and spring onion and stir well.
To serve, place a large spoonful of cooked white rice onto each plate and place 3-4 chicken balls on top. Pour the sauce over and serve.
