Sweet and Sour Chicken
This was my favorite dinner when I was a kid, but I only got it 1-2 times a year, so it was always a special treat. My parents didn't bread the chicken and just cooked it in a dutch oven, so I can't tell you how much I loved being introduced to this by Jared when we were first married. This is Carol's recipe, and I haven't found a better one. We've made slight changes, but not a lot. We also double the sauce, which makes it nice and flavorful, and this gets a 10 rating. Here's what we do:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 C. cornstarch
1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp, kosher salt
1/4 C. evaporated milk
3 eggs
Vigorously beat egg and canned milk together. In another bowl, combine 1/2 C. cornstarch, 1/2 C. flour, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. Cut chicken into strips, dip it in the egg mixture and then the cornstarch mixture. Place on a cookie sheet so that they're not touching each other. Brown in a frying pan (don't cook chicken all the way through- just enough to brown the breading) in oil heated to 350-375 and fry in batches. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up oil and then place in a dutch oven.
Sauce for one batch (we double it):
3/4 C. sugar (I use 1/3 C. + 1 TBS for a double batch)
1/2 C. chicken stock
1 TBS corn starch
1/4 brown sugar (I use this amount for a double batch)
4 TBS ketchup
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1 TBS soy sauce
Mix all ingredients on stove until thickened. Pour over chicken in dutch oven and place in oven. Cook at 350 for 1 hour and star at least twice while cooking. Serve over rice.
Stefani, you're so funny! We actually did bread the chicken before cooking. Well...usually, anyway. There may have been a couple of rushed exceptions--haha! However, Carol's recipe sounds absolutely fabulous and I can't wait to try it. It's still one of my personal favorites. Thanks for the happy reminder of a truly satisfying dish.
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