I was looking for inspiration for dinner last night and wanted to try something creative. I studied the contents of my fridge and larder and decided to make a meal that would tantalise all our taste buds – a surge of heat, a touch of sweetness combined with something sour to create a dish that would be deliciously satisfying. The Mandarin fritters added another dimension, bringing a sharp citrus crunch to the eclectic textures and flavours of the dish.
Subliminally, I had produced a meal in celebration of the Chinese New Year. It wasn’t intentional, my tastebuds just led me that way! So I wish anyone reading this a happy year of the goat! Shanyang kuaile de yi nian!
Sweet, Sticky, Sour and Spicy Chicken with Mandarin Fritters
Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of runny honey
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons of chopped root ginger
- 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot pepper sauce (Piri-Piri)
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 chopped spring onions to garnish
- FOR THE MANDARIN FRITTERS:
- 2 seedless Mandarin oranges, in segments
- 1 cup of plain flour
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Directions:
- FEEDS 4:
- Mix together the brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot pepper sauce in a bowl.
- Salt and pepper the chicken strips.
- Add the chicken breast strips into the marinade and leave in the fridge for an hour.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the chicken strips and brown on both sides for about a minute.
- Pour the sauce/marinade over the chicken and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens (8/10 mins)
- FOR THE MANDARIN FRITTERS:
- Whisk together all the ingredients, in a bowl, until smooth.
- Heat a small pan of oil, deep enough to fry the Mandarin segments.
- Dip the segments into the batter then drop gently into the hot oil.
- Remove when golden brown and crispy.
