Cook 100: Sweet & Sour Chicken and other dishes

Parents are back for the weekend so I offered to cook lunch. I decided today's menu will be Stir Fried Fish Fillet with Ginger and Spring Onion since I still had some fish fillet left from the other day, also to make it for the second time. Practice makes perfect. Also in the menu; Sweet & Sour Chicken and Baby Kailan with Garlic, both favourite dishes of mine.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

8 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-size cubes)
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (optional)
1 green bell pepper (seeds removed and cut into squares)
1 stalk scallion (cut into 2-inch lengths)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Oil for frying

Batter:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chili sauce (Lingam hot sauce)
1 teaspoon plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
3 dashes white pepper powder
2 tablespoons oil

I had all except for Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce.

Cooking method: Cut the chicken breast meat into bite-size cubes and marinate with 1 tablespoon of wine for 10 minutes. Mix the batter in a bowl and add the chicken cubes into the batter. Mix the sweet and sour sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat up cooking oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken cubes. (Shake off the extra batter before frying). Transfer the chicken out on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Transfer the cooking oil out and leave only 2 tablespoons oil in the wok.

Add garlic and saute the garlic until light brown and then follow by the green bell peppers. Stir-fry until you smell the aroma. Add the sweet and sour sauce into the wok and bring it to boil. Toss in the chicken, add the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately with steamed white rice. Credits.

End result, voila!

Stir Fried Fish Fillet with Ginger & Spring Onion

I cooked this for the second time and I think it tasted better because I used a non-stick pan, so I can actually let it simmer for a bit for the flavour to really soak in. The other day, I used the common wok and the fish stuck to it, so I had to cook it in a haste.

Baby Kailan with Garlic & Oyster Sauce

The ingredients are exactly that. (The ones mentioned in the title)



I think I quite enjoy cooking once I put my heart into it. And so far, with the right ingredients, the dishes turned out alright. My family seconded that. Even my brother Marshal, who is a chef-to-be gave his stamp of approval. I think I'm going to try baking next.