Sweet and Sour Chicken (Ootoya Tori Kurozu-An)

• portions: 2 servings
• temps actif: 30 minutes
• temps total: 1 hour

Ingrédients

2 chicken thighs (11 oz, 312 g) 11 312

3 potatoes

3 inches lotus root (renkon)

½ carrot

1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant

½ onion

½ green pepper

½ cup potato starch or cornstarch

3 cups neutral oil (for deep-frying)

1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice)

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sake

4 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Japanese black vinegar (kurozu) (If you use Chinese black vinegar, use ½ Tbsp as it has a stronger flavor) ½

1 Tbsp mirin

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp sake

2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.

Make the marinade. Grate the ginger and collect 1 tsp ginger (with juice). Grate 1 clove garlic. Combine the ginger, garlic, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sake in a large bowl.

Trim off and discard any excess fat from 2 chicken thighs, then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and add them to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients for the Black Vinegar Sauce: 4 Tbsp sugar, 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp Japanese black vinegar (kurozu), 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp sake, and 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Mix it well together.

Peel and cut 3 potatoes in half. Peel and cut ½ carrot into small pieces. For the carrot, I use the rangiri cutting technique to create more surface space so that they will cook faster and look pretty.

Potatoes and carrots take too long to cook by deep-frying alone; therefore, we boil them first for 10 minutes until they are tender. Drain and set aside.

Peel and cut 3 inches lotus root (renkon) into ⅛-inch (3-mm) slices. Peel 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant in a striped pattern and cut it into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slices.

Cut ½ onion into wedges and cut the wedges in half crosswise. Cut ½ green pepper into wedges, then cut the wedges in half crosswise.

To Cook

In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, add 3 cups neutral oil. Make sure you have at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in the pot. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need more or less oil. If you are new to deep-frying, read my post on How to Deep-Fry Food for helpful tips. Preheat the oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Using a paper towel, pat dry the vegetables. Then, add them to the oil and deep-fry until they‘re tender. Be careful not to overcook or undercook. When they’re done, drain them on a wire rack or paper towel.

Next, coat the chicken pieces in ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch and deep-fry at 340ºF (170ºC) for 5 minutes or until golden brown. If the chicken is browning too quickly, lower the heat to make sure the chicken gets cooked through. Then, place the chicken pieces on a wire rack or paper towel and drain well.

To Add the Sauce and Serve

When you‘re done deep-frying the chicken, reheat the wok and toss the deep-fried vegetables and chicken together. When they are re-heated evenly, pour the Black Vinegar Sauce over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine. Transfer the Sweet and Sour Chicken to a plate and serve.

To Store

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

• Calories: 1079 kcal
• Lipides Totaux: 54 g
• Lipides Saturés: 11 g
• Lipides Insaturés: 38 g
• Acides Gras Trans: 1 g
• Cholestérol: 153 mg
• Sodium: 1136 mg
• Glucides Totaux: 110 g
• Fibres Diététiques: 14 g
• Sucres Totaux: 23 g
• Protéines: 38 g