Reinvent your dining with homemade five-spice chicken
Chinese eateries enjoy unwavering popularity. It's worth presenting Asian cuisine in more than just Styrofoam boxes. Since I learned this recipe, my local restaurant has lost some loyal customers.
Five-spice chicken - recipe
The menu of almost every Chinese restaurant includes the item "Five-Spice Chicken". Its unique taste comes from combining the five basic flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. Properly balanced, they create an exceptionally tasty composition.
The basis is chicken wrapped in slightly crispy batter. Add a thick sauce and vegetables, and you have the perfect dish. You can choose a ready-made Chinese mix or compose your favourites. Bell peppers, broccoli, sweet sugar snap peas, Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, or carrots will work well here.
Many ingredients are known from Asian cuisine, such as soy sauce or fish sauce. It's worth stocking up on these during a themed week at the supermarket or ordering online.
Ingredients:
- 450 g of chicken fillet,
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce,
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce,
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal,
- Oil for frying,
- 1 onion,
- 2 cloves garlic,
- 1 red bell pepper,
- 1 green bell pepper,
- 2 carrots,
- A few broccoli florets,
- 2 slices canned pineapple,
- Chilli flakes or hot chilli pepper.
Sauce:
- 60 ml wine vinegar,
- 50 g sugar,
- 60 ml soy sauce,
- 1 tablespoon ketchup,
- 1 teaspoon cornmeal,
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation method:
- Cut the chicken into cubes, mix with soy sauce, cornmeal, and fish sauce. Set aside for a moment.
- Prepare the sauce: in a saucepan, mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and cornmeal. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Dice the onion and bell peppers, chop the garlic, and peel the carrots into half-moon.
- Drain pineapple from juice and cut it into smaller pieces.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden brown.
- Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers, fry for a moment.
- Add pineapple, broccoli, and sauce.
- Add chilli flakes or hot chilli pepper.
- Cook until the sauce thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the Five-Spice Chicken with rice or Asian noodles, such as chow mein. Add a Chinese-style slaw to it. Enjoy your meal!
