3bonelessskinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Vegetable oilfor frying
2cupssliced pineapple
2cupschopped green bell pepper
3Tbsp.minced fresh ginger
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
Add oil to a large skillet to a depth of about 1 inch. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, 5-spice, and 1 ½ cups water until combined.
When oil reaches 350°, combine vinegar and baking soda in a medium bowl (mixture will foam). Quickly stir into flour mixture.
Add about half of chicken to batter. Working with one piece at a time, remove from batter using a slotted spoon, letting excess drip off. Gently add to hot oil.
Cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat to keep oil temperature about 350°, until chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
Transfer cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Remove pan with oil from heat; let cool, then dispose of oil.
Heat another large skillet over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons oil.
Add pineapple, bell pepper, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender, about 3 minutes.
Whisk sauce; pour into skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add cooked chicken to pan; toss to coat. Serve immediately over rice.
Notes
Wait to combine the baking soda and vinegar until the oil is up to temperature. You want the batter to be as foamy as possible when you dip and fry the chicken.
This recipe has a few moving parts, so be smart about setting up your work space. It helps to have your batter station near the stove, so you can go directly from batter bowl to skillet.
Because the batter is fairly thin, you will have droplets of batter that fry along with the chicken. Simply use your slotted spoon to scoop them out so they don’t burn and flavor the oil.
Use an instant-read thermometer to help you keep the oil around 350°; if it drops too low, the chicken will get soggy; if it’s too high, it will burn before it cooks through. A little variance is OK; just keep an eye on it.