Richmond resident, actor and chef Colin Foo introduces yet another dish to welcome the Lunar New Year, hoping it will bring luck and prosperity to everyone this year.
Foo said his pineapple chicken recipe is a “very easy dish” that even beginners can make.
“The ingredients are very simple and you can get them anywhere,” he added.
But while the dish is easy, there’s a secret to the sauce -- time.
Marinating the chicken is the most important step, he explained.
“You need the flavour to seep into the chicken, so leaving it in the fridge for six hours or even overnight would be great.”
The colour yellow, from the pineapples in the recipe, is a very symbolic colour for Chinese New Year and is often used as an imperial colour in traditional Chinese culture, according Foo.
In addition, the word yellow in Mandarin sounds very similar to “king” as well as “prosperity,” which can also attract good fortune to your household.
Foo said he hopes readers will enjoy the dish that has a sweet and tangy taste, similar to sweet and sour pork.
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized chicken breast, skinned, deboned and cut into cubes
2 tbsp. light soya sauce
1 tsp. salt and white pepper
3-4 small shallots, finely chopped
1 can of pineapple chunks
1/2 cup of pineapple juice from the same can
2-3 tbsp. cooking oil
1½ tbsp. tapioca powder
1 heaping tbsp. of granulated white sugar
1 heaping tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Optional: chopped chives or cilantro
Method:
Mix the chicken breasts, soya sauce, salt and white pepper together and marinate for at least six hours in the refrigerator.
In a separate bowl, mix the tapioca powder, sugar, lime or lemon juice. When combined, add the can of pineapple juice slowly and mix well.
Heat a medium-sized wok on high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the finely chopped shallots and stir fry for about a minute and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the marinated chicken to the wok and stir fry for about 6-8 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Remove and plate the chicken.
In the same wok, set to medium heat and fry the pineapple cubes for about 3-5 minutes until you see steam coming from the cubes.
Pour the previously made sauce mixture over the pineapples in the wok while making sure the tapioca starch is well-mixed.
When the sauce starts to bubble and thicken, turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the plated chicken.
Garnish with chopped chives or cilantro.
