Sweet & Sour Chicken with Lychees

Ingredients

• •500 g chicken thigh meat
• •1 egg white
• •1 tablespoon corn flour
• •¼ teaspoon salt
• •¼ teaspoon pepper
• •4 tablespoons cooking oil
• •200 g cucumber
• •1 large onion
• •1 tablespoon garlic
• •1 can lychees
• •1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• •1 tablespoon ketchup
• •1 teaspoon sugar
• •1 tablespoon shaoxing huatiao cooking wine
• •chives or spring onions

Method

Adapted from foodista.com

1. 1Cut 500g of chicken thigh meat into bite size pieces. About 1 inch by 1 inch.
2. 2Place the meat in a bowl.
3. 3Add 1 egg white.
4. 4Then add 1 tablespoon of corn flour.
5. 5And add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. I use Masterfoods Garlic Pepper Seasonings whenever salt and pepper is required. A generous shake of this to get about ½ teaspoon will do.
6. 6Mix it all well with your fingers. Set aside till ready to use.
7. 7Peel and cut a large onion into bite size pieces, approximately the same size as the chicken.
8. 8Do the same for the cucumber. But keep the skin on the cucumber.
9. 9Drain a can of lychees.
10. 10Reserve the juice.
11. 11Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a hot pan.
12. 12Keep the heat at medium high at all times.
13. 13Add the chicken and make sure they are evenly distributed on one side on the pan.
14. 14Let the chicken cook. It will eventually turn golden brown.
15. 15When that happens, turn it around.
16. 16Cook the other side.
17. 17Once the chicken is golden brown on both sides, dish them out of the pan.
18. 18Set aside in a warm place.
19. 19Pour away excess oil in the pan and reserve about 1 tablespoon of oil.
20. 20Return the pan to the stove and add the onions.
21. 21Stir fry for a minute.
22. 22Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
23. 23Stir fry till garlic is slightly toasted and fragrant.
24. 24Add the cucumbers.
25. 25Keep stir frying for another 30 seconds.
26. 26Add the drained lychees.
27. 27Mix well.
28. 28Add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce.
29. 29Add 1 tablespoon of ketchup.
30. 30Add 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing Huatiao cooking wine.
31. 31Add 1 teaspoon of sugar.
32. 32Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved lychee juice from the can.
33. 33If the pan looks very dry, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of the juice.
34. 34Do not make too much sauce. We want the sauce to gently coat the meat and not drown the meat in it.
35. 35Stir well to combine.
36. 36Add a pinch of salt and pepper or ¼ teaspoon of Masterfoods Garlic Pepper Seasonings.
37. 37At this point, taste the sauce and adjust sweetness-sour levels accordingly. If too sweet, add a little more ketchup. If too sour, add more sugar. If not salty enough, add more salt+pepper. Different brands of oyster sauce and ketchup will affect this, so a taste test is a must.
38. 38Once the sauce is ready, add the cooked chicken back to the sauce.
39. 39Toss evenly. The sauce should just gently coat the chicken without soaking it and making it soggy.
40. 40Dish up and garnish with chives or spring onions.
41. 41Serve immediately. Best eaten with rice.