Firecracker Chicken

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

My homemade Firecracker Chicken is fresher, healthier, more colorful, and just head over heels above your favorite take out!

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, or tenders
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
• salt and freshly cracked pepper
• vegetable oil
• 1 onion (peeled and chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger (peeled and minced)
• 4 cups chopped multi-colored bell peppers
• 2 hot red peppers
• for the sauce
• ½ cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (substitute orange or pineapple)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp plum sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce
• for garnish
• 5 onions (thinly sliced)
• sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Method

1. Mix the sauce in a measuring cup --- whisk together the juice, soy sauce, hoisin, honey, plum sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. In another small container mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a thick liquid. Set both aside.
2. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
3. Whisk the egg, cornstarch and flour together with a tablespoon of water. Season with a little salt and pepper.
4. Pour oil into a wok or frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat the oil to about 340F. Working in batches, drop the chicken into the egg and cornstarch mixture,coating it completely, and then into the oil and fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through cooking. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
5. Wipe out the pan, and heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened.
6. Add the peppers, both sweet and hot, to the pan and stir fry for another few minutes, just until the peppers have lost their 'raw' edge. They should still be bright and crunchy.
7. Add the chicken back to the pan and heat through.
8. Shove the food to one side of the wok and pour the sauce into the pan. Tilt the pan so the sauce can come to a boil. When it boils, stir in a little of the cornstarch mixture, just until it thickens, You won't need it all.
9. Stir the sauce into the peppers and chicken. Heat everything through.
10. Serve hot over rice, garnished with sliced green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island