Stir-Fried Chicken with Chili Caramel Sauce Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon

2 tablespoons

60 ml

4 cloves

800 g

4 tablespoons

3 tablespoons

2 tablespoons

3 tablespoons

Five-spice powder

Grated fresh ginger

Soy sauce

Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

Garlic, crushed

Chicken thigh fillets, cubed

Soft brown sugar

Rice vinegar

Sweet chili sauce

Fish sauce

Chicken stock

Peanut oil

Red chili, seeded and finely chopped

Coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped

Spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced on the diagonal, to garnish

Method :

Put the five-spice, ginger, soy sauce, wine and half the garlic in a glass or ceramic bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, then stir together.
Add the chicken, stir to coat, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Glass and ceramic are ideal for marinating because metal reacts with acids and plastic absorbs strong flavors.
In a small bowl or jug, combine the brown sugar, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce and chicken stock.
Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the chicken in batches and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove each batch and keep warm while you cook the rest.
Reduce the heat slightly and heat the remaining oil in the wok. Add the chili and remaining garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour in teh sauce mixture and allow it to bubble until reduced, syrupy and caramelised. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
When the sauce is thoroughly reduced and caramelised, return the chicken to the wok, without any of the accumulated juices, and cook for 1 minute to coat the chicken in the sauce and heat through.
Stir in the coriander. Garnish with the spring onion before serving.