Five-spice chicken recipe: Elevate your home dining experience
Chinese eateries enjoy unwavering popularity. It's worth experiencing Asian cuisine in more than just polystyrene containers. Since I discovered this recipe, my local restaurant has lost some of its loyal customers.
Five-spice chicken - Recipe
The menus of almost every Chinese restaurant include the dish "Five-Spice Chicken". Its unique taste comes from combining the five basic flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. When properly balanced, these flavours create an exceptionally tasty composition.
The base is chicken wrapped in a slightly crispy batter. Add a thick sauce and vegetables, and you have the perfect dish. You can opt for a ready-made Chinese vegetable mix or compose your favourite combination. Bell peppers, broccoli, sweet sugar snap peas, Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, or carrots will work well here.
Many ingredients common in Asian cuisine, like soy sauce or fish sauce, are used. It's worthwhile to stock up on these during a themed week at the supermarket or by ordering online.
Ingredients:
- 450 grams of chicken fillet,
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce,
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce,
- 1 tablespoon cornflour,
- 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,
- 60 grams sugar,
- 60 ml soy sauce,
- 1 tablespoon ketchup,
- 1 teaspoon cornflour,
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation method:
- Cut the chicken into cubes and mix with soy sauce, cornflour, and fish sauce. Set aside for a moment.
- Prepare the sauce: in a saucepan, mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and cornflour. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Dice the onion and bell peppers, chop the garlic, and peel and slice the carrot into half-moon shapes.
- Drain the pineapple from its 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, and fry briefly.
- Add pineapple, broccoli, and sauce to the pan.
- 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 on the side. Enjoy your meal!
