This simple Cantonese sweet-and-sour hen recipe has the most effective steadiness of candy to bitter and may very well be made in beneath half-hour! While you’re in quest of an identical pescatarian model, try my sweet-and-sour fish.
There’s nothing bigger than taking a chunk of this standard Hong Kong model candy and bitter hen. The hen thighs are marinated, battered, and fried to golden perfection after which tossed in a thick, candy, and shiny sauce with crimson onion, bell peppers, and juicy fashionable pineapple chunks.
What’s Hong Kong Model Candy and Bitter Rooster?
Hong Kong model candy and bitter hen is a well-liked Hong Kong dish that decisions gentle crispy fried hen, bell peppers, crimson onions, and fashionable pineapple chunks which may very well be coated in a balanced and shiny candy and bitter sauce.
Candy and bitter Hong Kong model differs from Western variations referring to sweetness. The Western American candy and bitter hen tends to be sweeter and fewer balanced. Whereas, the Hong Kong hen has a further balanced fashion profile pulling the sweetness from the pure pineapple juice.
Parts
You may uncover all of the substances for this simple sweet-and-sour hen recipe at your native grocery retailer. I’ve linked the entire thing that I used beneath.
Rooster Marinade
- Rooster Thighs: boneless, skinless hen thighs are the juiciest cut back. Chances are high you will alternatively use any cut back of hen you want.
- Vegetable Oil: vegetable oil helps seal in moisture to forestall the hen from drying whereas cooking.
- Shaoxing Rice Wine: Shaoxing wine seasons the hen with an fragrant, barely candy, and heady fashion.
- Salt and White Pepper: salt and white pepper to season the Hong Kong candy and bitter hen.
- All-purpose flour and cornstarch: the all-purpose flour offers improvement and contributes to the golden brown coloration whereas the cornstarch creates a lightweight crispy texture that offers the extra crunch.
- Baking powder: baking powder aids all through the rise of the batter for extra ethereal texture.
Candy and Bitter Sauce
- Cornstarch: cornstarch is the primary thickener for the candy and bitter sauce.
- Pineapple Juice: pineapple juice is what offers the sauce its signature candy and tangy fashion.
- Ketchup: ketchup offers the sauce its wealthy tomato umami fashion.
- Brown Sugar: brown sugar presents a delicate pure sweetness.
- Rice Vinegar: rice vinegar is barely sweeter and softer than frequent white vinegar for a lots a lot much less harsh “bitter” fashion.
- Salt: salt is used to steadiness out and improve all the choice flavors.
Stir fry
- Ginger, Garlic, and Pink Onion: ginger, garlic, and crimson onion are the most effective fragrant trio to this candy and bitter hen.
- Pink and Inexperienced Bell Pepper: crimson and inexperienced bell pepper add a lovely pop of coloration and crunch.
- Pineapple: fashionable pineapple chunks yield top-of-the-line fashion. Chances are high you will alternatively use frozen or canned pineapples as efficiently.
Substitutions and Additions
Chances are high you will customise this Cantonese candy and bitter hen recipe with the next ideas for substitutions and additions.
Substitutions
- Protein: instead of hen, you presumably can alternatively use pork, fish, shrimp, or tofu.
- Gluten Free batter: instead of all-purpose flour you should use rice flour as another choice to a gluten-free likelihood.
- Tomato paste: instead of ketchup, you should use tomato paste for a richer tomato fashion.
Additions
- Greens: further greens for added texture which will work embrace snap peas, infant, corn, and broccoli.
- Spice: for added warmth, you presumably can add crimson pepper flakes, fashionable chili peppers, or sriracha.
How one can Make Hong Kong Candy and Bitter Rooster
These are the steps to stage out you the way one could make this candy and bitter hen Hong Kong Model.
Prep
- Marinate the hen. Pat the hen dry and cut back it into 1-inch bite-sized chunks. In a mixing bowl, add the hen, vegetable oil, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper. Combine to mix and put aside to marinate for not decrease than 10 minutes.
- Make the candy and bitter sauce. In a mixing bowl, add the water and cornstarch and blend till mixed. Then add all through the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and salt. Combine till mixed. Then put aside.
Fry the Rooster
- Warmth the oil. In a deep pan, warmth satisfactory oil to cowl about 1/2 to 1 inch of the pan over medium-high warmth. When the oil reaches 350°F-375°F (177°C-190°C) it’s prepared.
- Combine the coating substances and coat the hen. In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Combine till mixed. Then totally coat the hen all through the combination. Rigorously shake off any further.
- Fry the hen. When the oil is prepared, fry the hen in batches till golden brown about 2-3 minutes on each facet. Then change the hen onto a wire rack positioned over a lined baking sheet to empty any further oil.
Stir Fry
- Put collectively dinner the aromatics. In a wok, warmth 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high warmth till scorching. Then add the ginger, garlic, and crimson onion and put together dinner dinner for 30 seconds to 1 minute or till aromatic and golden brown.
- Add the bell peppers and pineapple. Subsequent, add the bell peppers and put together dinner dinner for 30 seconds to 1 minute or till charred. Then add the pineapple and put together dinner dinner for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce and hen. Then add the sauce and toss to mix. Put collectively dinner the sauce till it begins to simmer and thicken for about 1-2 minutes. Then toss the hen and toss to mix and expertise!
- Serve. Garnish the candy and bitter hen and inexperienced onions serve with white rice and expertise!
Skilled Ideas
- Administration the frying temperature. Assure that to maintain up the oil at 50°F-375°F (177°C-190°C) to confirm the hen cooks shortly and doesn’t absorb an excessive amount of oil.
- For a crispier hen double fry. While you need an excellent crispier hen, after the primary fry take away the hen and let it sit for 30 seconds as you improve the oil temperature to 375°F and fry as quickly as additional for a further 30 seconds or till moderately extra golden brown.
- Use fashionable pineapple. Trendy pineapple yields the best-tasting candy and bitter hen.
- Mannequin to handle. The suitable “steadiness” of favor will rely in your vogue buds. Don’t be afraid to handle the sugar or vinegar parts primarily based completely in your preferences.
- Add the fried hen to the sauce when able to serve. Mix the hen with the candy and bitter sauce if you end up able to serve to take care of up its peak crispiness.
Storage Directions
Hong Kong model candy and bitter hen is greatest served instantly whereas the hen is crispy. Chances are high you will retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container all through the fridge for as lots as 2 days. Understand that the crispiness will flip soggy over time.
Reheat: To crisp up the hen, reheat in an air fryer or oven at 350 F till heat.
Ceaselessly Requested Q’s and A’s
What’s the distinction between candy and bitter Hong Kong Model and American model?
Candy and bitter hen Hong Kong model is approach a lot much less candy than the American counterpart. The Hong Kong model hen has a lighter batter, with a further balanced fashion profile that makes use of pure sweetness from pineapple juice and a softer tanginess from rice vinegar.
How do I make the hen crispy?
For the crispiest hen objects, ensure that to fry the hen in scorching oil that’s 350°F-375°F (177°C-190°C). When the oil is scorching satisfactory the hen will fry shortly and won’t absorb an excessive amount of oil to make it greasy. Pull the hen out with a spider strainer and let it cool on a wire rack to empty further oil.
Can I exploit completely totally different greens?
Sure! It is worthwhile to make use of completely totally different greens on this Cantonese candy and bitter hen. Chances are high you will alternatively add carrots, snow peas, infant corn, or broccoli for added textures and flavors.
How do I serve candy and bitter hen?
This candy and bitter hen is greatest served instantly garnished with inexperienced onion and sesame seeds and a bowl of steamed rice. You may also serve it with fried rice or lo mein noodles as efficiently.
Further Chinese language language language Recipes to Strive
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Candy and Bitter Rooster Recipe
Candy and Bitter Rooster (Hong Kong Model)
Hong Kong model candy and bitter hen is crispy, juicy, tangy and scrumptious made with crispy nonetheless tender hen thighs, crimson onion, bell peppers and fashionable Pineapple.
Servings: 4 servings
Parts
Prep
Marinate the hen. Pat the hen dry and cut back it into 1-inch bite-sized objects. In a mixing bowl, add the hen, vegetable oil, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper. Combine to mix and put aside to marinate for not decrease than 10 minutes.
Make the candy and bitter sauce. In a mixing bowl, add the water and cornstarch and blend till mixed. Then add all through the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and salt. Combine till mixed. Then put aside.
Fry the Rooster
Warmth the oil. In a deep pan, warmth satisfactory oil to cowl about 1/2 to 1 inch of the pan over medium-high warmth. When the oil reaches 350°F-375°F (177°C-190°C) it’s prepared.
Combine the coating substances and coat the hen. In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Combine till mixed. Then totally coat the hen all through the combination. Rigorously shake off any further.
Fry the hen. When the oil is prepared, fry the hen in batches till golden brown about 2-3 minutes on each facet. Then change the hen onto a wire rack positioned over a lined baking sheet to empty any further oil.
Stir Fry
Put collectively dinner the aromatics. In a wok, warmth 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high warmth till scorching. Then add the ginger, garlic, and crimson onion and put together dinner dinner for 30 seconds to 1 minute or till aromatic and golden brown.
Add the bell peppers and pineapple. Subsequent, add the bell peppers and put together dinner dinner for 30 seconds to 1 minute or till charred. Then add the pineapple and put together dinner dinner for a further 30 seconds.
Add the sauce and hen. Then add the sauce and toss to mix. Put collectively dinner the sauce till it begins to simmer and thicken for about 1-2 minutes. Then toss the hen and toss to mix and expertise!
Serve. Garnish the candy and bitter hen and inexperienced onions serve with white rice and expertise!
- Administration the frying temperature. Assure that to maintain up the oil at 50°F-375°F (177°C-190°C) to confirm the hen cooks shortly and doesn’t absorb an excessive amount of oil.
- For a crispier hen double fry. While you need an excellent crispier hen, after the primary fry take away the hen and let it sit for 30 seconds as you improve the oil temperature to 375°F and fry as quickly as additional for a further 30 seconds or till moderately extra golden brown.
- Use fashionable pineapple. Trendy pineapple yields the best-tasting candy and bitter hen.
- Mannequin to handle. The suitable “steadiness” of favor will rely in your vogue buds. Don’t be afraid to handle the sugar or vinegar parts primarily based completely in your preferences.
- Add the fried hen to the sauce when able to serve. Mix the hen with the candy and bitter sauce if you end up able to serve to take care of up its peak crispiness.
Energy: 727kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 39g | Fats: 41g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 10g | Monounsaturated Fats: 16g | Trans Fats: 0.2g | Ldl ldl ldl cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg