Sweet & Sour Chicken

You will never order chinese takeout again, once you've tried this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. This has been perfected over a 10-year span and is a staple in my household.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces

• 1 rib celery, diced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 green pepper, diced

• oil for frying (I use canola oil)

Batter:

• 1 cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup water

Sauce:

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

• 8 oz. (1 cup) pineapple juice

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 3 Tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, baking powder, cornstarch and egg together in a bowl. Stir in the cubed chicken pieces. Add in 1/2 cup water; you want your batter to be thick. Add more water if necessary.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 3-4 cups of oil until it reaches 350 ºF. Deep fry the chicken pieces in smaller batches, cooking for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain and set aside to keep warm. (You can drain on a plate lined with paper towels, but I like to use a cookie sheet with a baking rack on top. It allows the chicken pieces to drain, but keeps the bottoms from getting soggy. I put the cooked chicken in the oven at 325 ºF until my sauce is ready)

3. In a saucepan, add 2 Tablespoons oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add in the onions, celery, and green peppers. Cook 2-5 minutes. You want them to sauté and start to get some color. Then add the chicken stock, sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil.

4. Make a slurry by adding the 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to combine. Add this mixture to your saucepan and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and adjust seasonings if needed (If you want it sweeter, add in more sugar. If you want it saltier, add in more soy sauce).

5. Serve with a side of white rice. Makes 4 servings

VARIATION: instead of adding the chicken to the sauce, you can keep it separate and put the sauce in a small bowl for dipping.