Sweet and Sour Chicken

When I lived in Brooklyn there was a Chinese food restaurant right downstairs from my building.  It was tiny (takeout only for sure!) and dimly lit, but they had all the classics.  I used to get the eggplant in garlic sauce on the regular.  On AIP true takeout like this is hard to come by.  Fear not!  We can definitely replicate that characteristic thick, sweet, glossy sauce that is such a mainstay of American Chinese takeout.

This sauce is thickened with arrowroot flour, which you can find in your local health food store or whole foods.  It’s important to mix the arrowroot flour into some cool liquid that is separate from your hot pot of sauce: as soon as the arrowroot slurry heats up it will begin to thicken, and if you haven’t mixed it smooth in cool liquid, you will get clumps in your sauce.

If you’re feeling fancy you can eat this over some cauliflower rice, but I enjoyed it straight-up.  And, if you are really feeling fancy, you could even order some takeout-esque containers online and pretend that this didn’t come out of your kitchen 😉 I bet you a shiny nickel that you could fool a friend!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2017-04-23 22:23:10

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marinade

1. 1 can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
2. 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
3. 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

vegetables

1. 1 onion
2. 1 carrot
3. 1 Tbsp olive oil
4. 1/2 small to medium head of cabbage
5. 1/3 lb snow peas

chicken

1. 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2. 1/2 cup tapioca starch
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. olive oil to coat pan

sauce

1. 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
2. 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
3. 1/2 tsp fish sauce
4. 1/2 cup water or broth
5. 1/2 tsp onion powder
6. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
7. 1/2 tsp ginger powder
8. 1 Tbsp honey
9. 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
10. 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into chunks. Place the chicken in a container or ziploc bag and add 1 Tbsp coconut aminos, 1 Tbsp of rice vinegar, and 3 Tbsp of juice from the can of pineapple chunks. Place the chicken in the fridge and let marinade while you prep and cook the vegetables.
2. Cut the onion into half moons and sautée with the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Cut the carrot into thin coins and add. Cut the cabbage into strips and add. Trim the ends off the snow peas and add. Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving the juice, and add the pineapple to the pan. Cook for two more minutes and then remove the vegetables from the heat.
3. To make the sauce, add the remaining pineapple juice, water or broth, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger powder to a small pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix 1/4 cup cold water with 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch together until smooth. When the sauce mixture is almost boiling, add the arrowroot slurry to the pot and stir as it thickens. Once thick turn off the heat.
4. Mix the tapioca starch with the salt in a shallow bowl. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan. Take the chicken chunks and dredge them in the tapioca mixture, then place them in the hot pan. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side, until cooked through. When all the chicken is cooked, add the vegetables back to the pan, and add the sauce. Mix and cook just until hot, then serve.

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