Charred Pineapple Sweet And Sour Chicken

500g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin wide pieces
1 fresh pineapple, cut into quarters
½ onion, sliced
½ red or green pepper, sliced
200–300g cornflour
Salt and white pepper (for seasoning cornflour)
Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
Toasted sesame seeds (to garnish)

The Seasoning for Chicken
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
Pinch Chinese five spice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 egg

The Sauce
4 tablespoons Chinese black rice vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
200ml chicken stock
Pineapple skins and core (optional, for added flavour)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 230–250°C. Cut the pineapple into quarters, remove the core (reserve skins and core for the sauce if desired). Roast pineapple for 20 minutes until charred around the edges.
2. In a saucepan, combine black rice vinegar, sugar, dark soy and chicken stock. Add pineapple skins and core for extra flavour if using. Bring to a boil and reduce over medium-high heat for 10–15 minutes until lightly syrupy. Set aside.
3. Season the sliced chicken with sugar, light soy, five spice and sesame oil. Mix well. Add the egg and stir to coat.
4. Season the cornflour with salt and pepper. Toss chicken thoroughly in cornflour, rubbing through with your fingers until pieces separate and become dry and crumbly. This ensures maximum crispness.

COOKING

1. Heat vegetable oil to 180°C. Deep fry chicken in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Do not overcrowd the wok. Remove and drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add onion and pepper, searing until lightly charred.
3. Add roasted pineapple chunks and toss briefly.
4. Pour in the reduced sauce and allow to bubble on high heat until slightly sticky (not thick, but glossy and smooth).
5. Return half the fried chicken to the wok and toss 5–6 times until evenly coated.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with toasted sesame seeds.

School of Wok Tips

• Roast pineapple at very high heat to concentrate natural sugars.
• Reducing the sauce separately gives you control over texture.
• Use plenty of cornflour and separate the pieces before frying for maximum crispness.
• Always fry in batches — overcrowding lowers oil temperature and reduces crunch.

FAQs

Can I use tinned pineapple?
Yes, but fresh pineapple gives a deeper, more concentrated flavour when charred.

What if I can’t find black rice vinegar?
Mix 3 parts thin balsamic vinegar with 1 part light soy. For extra rice notes, briefly toast rice and infuse it into the mixture.

Why is the sauce lighter than takeaway sweet and sour?
This version uses stock and reduced pineapple flavour rather than heavy starch, giving a cleaner, less syrupy finish.