Sweet and Sour Pork Balls

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 12 Minutes

Ready In: 27 mins

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1 lb - fatty minced pork

1 - egg white

4 tablespoons - water

2 tablespoons - light soy sauce

2 tablespoons - dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons - rice wine

1 tablespoon - sugar

2 teaspoons - salt

¼ teaspoon - freshly-ground pepper

  - cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

2 - carrots

½ - green pepper

½ - red pepper

4 - spring onions (a.k.a. scallions or salad onions)

  - groundnut oil

FOR THE SAUCE

5 fl oz - chicken stock

1 tablespoon - light soy sauce

2 tablespoons - dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons - sesame oil

½ teaspoon - salt

½ teaspoon - white pepper

1½ tablespoons - rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)

1 tablespoon - sugar

2 tablespoons - tomato purée (tomato paste)

2 teaspoons - cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

  - fresh coriander

Directions

  1. Mix the minced pork with the egg white and water using your hands then add the soy sauces, rice wine, sugar and salt and pepper. Shape into balls about 1" (2.5cm) across and dust with a little corn-flour.
  2. Peel and very thinly slice the carrots on the diagonal. Cut the green and red peppers into squares about ½" (1cm) across. Finely slice the spring onions on the diagonal. In a pan of boiling water, blanch the carrots and peppers until nearly tender (about 4-5 minutes). Drain and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the pork balls until crisp and golden (3-4 minutes). Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
  4. Combine all the sauce ingredients except the cornflour in a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the carrots, peppers and spring onions. Blend the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water, then stir in the cornflour mixture and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Add the pork balls and warm through. Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.