Spicy Caramel Chicken

There's a lot of things I would do differently when making this dish - and it's definitely one I will make again - but no matter...it tasted really good.  It had a nice spicy and sweet flavor to it.  And it was way simple to throw together.

So what would I have done differently?  First, I would have used the velveting technique I swore I would use from here on out for any stir fry recipe I made.  Second, I would have made more sauce and gotten it thicker just a tad bit thicker.  I think it would have looked so much more appealing had the sauce stuck a little and given the chicken more of a caramel look.

I have adjusted the recipe to reflect the said changes.... because, as I stated in the beginning of the post... the flavors were still really wonderful.

Spicy Caramel Chicken
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
Velveting marinade -
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon chicken stock
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon oil (I used vegetable oil)
For the sauce -
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the stir fry -
2 bell peppers (I used yellow and orange), thinly sliced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced or cut into bite size pieces

Directions:
Placed the cut up chicken in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and add chicken stock, stirring to combine.  Add the egg white and gently mix to coat each piece of chicken making sure not to froth the egg.  Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss to coat.  Add the oil and stir one last time.  Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce.  You want to have everything ready, once the stuff goes in the skillet/wok, things are going to move fast.  In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

When chicken is done marinating; bring a pot of water with one tablespoon of oil to a boil.  Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer.  Scatter in the marinated chicken, stir to separate and keep stirring gently until the coating turns white.  Remove the chicken pieces quickly with a slotted spoon or strainer.  Set chicken aside.

Heat a skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Once it is hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the red pepper and stir fry 2-3 minutes.  Add the chicken and stir fry 1-2 minutes, or until chicken is heated through.  Add the sauce and let simmer about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

 

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