Dragon Chicken
There’s something about this preparation that elevates it from the usual Chinese chicken stir fry. The sauce and batter add more depth the a pretty simple dish
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless chicken thigh pieces, cut into 1-inch strips
vegetable oil, for frying
1 small brown onion, cut into wedges
1 bell pepper, deseeded, roughly chopped
¼ cup salted cashews
5 dried red chilies (or to taste), cut in half
1 large red chili, finely sliced
¼ cup spring onion cut into batons
Stir-fry sauce:
¼ cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Thai sriracha sauce
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp Chinese black vinegar
½ tsp ground black pepper
Batter:
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
1 egg white
2 tsp soy sauce
Preparation
Combine ingredients for the stir fry sauce in a bowl, set aside for later.
To make the batter, whisk together the plain flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the chili powder, garlic, ginger, egg white, soy sauce and 3½ fl. oz. of water. Mix to combine well. Now add the chicken pieces and ensure they’re all well coated.
Fill a wok or large saucepan with vegetable oil one-third of the way up. Turn onto medium-high heat. The oil is hot when a wooden chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon will bubble when placed in the oil – total Asian mum trick!). Working in batches, carefully remove the chicken pieces from the batter and lower into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towel to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Place a clean wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil then add the onion and stir-fry for half a minute. Then add the capsicum and cashews and stir-fry for a minute. Now add the dried chili and stir-fry for another half a minute. Add the chicken, stir-fry sauce, fresh red chili and spring onion. Toss until well combined.