Sweet and Sour Pork

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 45 mins

Ingredients

12 oz - lean pork

1 tablespoon - dry sherry or rice wine

1 tablespoon - light soy sauce

½ teaspoon - salt

½ - green bell pepper

½ - red bell pepper

1 medium - carrot

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

1 - egg

2 tablespoons - corn flour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

15 fl oz - groundnut oil

3 oz - tinned lychees

FOR THE SAUCE

5 fl oz - chicken stock

1 tablespoon - light soy sauce

½ teaspoon - salt

½ tablespoon - cider vinegar or Chinese white rice vinegar

1 tablespoon - sugar

1 tablespoon - tomato purée (tomato paste)

1 teaspoon - corn flour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

1 teaspoon - water

Directions

  1. Cut the pork into 1" (2.5cm) cubes. Place the meat into a bowl along with the sherry or rice wine, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well, and marinade for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the green and red peppers into 1" (2.5cm) squares. Peel and cut the carrots into 1" (2.5cm) cubes and cut the spring onions (scallions) into 1" (2.5cm) lengths. (The uniform size of the meat and vegetables adds to the visual appeal of the dish.) Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the carrots in it for about 7-8 minutes.
  3. Now it's time to make the sauce... Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, salt, vinegar, sugar and tomato purée (tomato paste) in a large saucepan. Bring it to the boil. Add all the vegetables but not the lychees and stir well. In a small bowl, blend together the corn flour and water. Stir this mixture into the sauce and bring it back to the boil, then turn the heat down to a very low simmer while you cook the pork.
  4. Mix the eggs and corn flour (cornstarch) into a bowl until they are well blended into a batter. Lift the pork cubes out of the marinade, place into the batter and coat each piece well. Heat the oil in a wok or deep-fat fryer until it is almost smoking. Remove the pork pieces from the batter with a slotted spoon, and deep fry them for several minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
  5. Add the lychees and pork cubes to the sauce, mix well and then turn the whole mixture onto a deep platter. Serve immediately with Steamed Rice.