Sweet & Sour Pineapple Chicken with Rice Recipe

Ingredients

500g diced chicken leg
1 tbsp olive oil
40g honey
1-2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
50g tamari
1 tbsp cornflour
40g tomato sauce
A thumb of ginger
1 red onion
1 red pepper
2 carrots
1 pineapple
300g brown basmati rice
500-700ml boiling water
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp cold water (optional)

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hr 10 mins-6 hrs 10 mins. For cooking on the hob, carry on from step 8 after completing steps 1 and 2.

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Method

1. Place a frying pan (or a large casserole dish if you are cooking your chicken on the hob) on a medium heat for a few mins. Add 1 tbsp oil and the diced chicken leg. Fry for 10 mins, turning every so often, till browned all on sides.

2. While the chicken is browning, pour the honey, 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar (keep the rest for later), tamari, cornflour and the tomato sauce in to a small bowl. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Add to the bowl. Mix together and set to one side - this is your sweet and sour sauce. Tip the chicken into your slow cooker or into a bowl if cooking on the hob. From this point, follow the instructions for the slow cooker or on the hob method.

3. Slow cooker: Peel and thickly slice the onion. Halve the pepper, remove the seeds and membrane, then slice into 1cm-thick strips. Trim and peel the carrots add cut them into thick slices. Chop the leaves off the pineapple then slice off the skin. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to scoop out any woody 'eyes'. Chop the pineapple into 2cm-wide chunks, discarding any really woody bit of core.

4. Add all the veg and pineapple to the slow cooker with the chicken. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and stir. Pour in 500ml water. Gently stir together, making sure most of the ingredients are covered by the liquid then pop on the lid. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs. For a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hrs, or set to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

5. When the chicken has 35 mins left to cook, cook your rice. Tip the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water and whisk for 1-2 mins till the water goes cloudy. Drain, rinse and tip the rice into a small pan. Pour in 600ml boiling water. Add a pinch of salt. Cover, bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Gently simmer for 20-25 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take the pan off the heat. Pop the lid back on and leave the rice in the pan for 5 mins to steam it. The rice will stay warm in the pan while you finish the chicken.

6. Taste the sauce the chicken has been cooking in. Add more rice wine vinegar or salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

7. Fluff the rice with a fork and add a pinch or 2 of salt and pepper. Divide the rice between 4 warm plates. Top with the sweet and sour pineapple chicken and veg.

8. On the hob: When you've taken the chicken out of the dish, take the dish off the heat. Peel and thickly slice the onion. Halve the pepper, remove the seeds and membrane, then slice into 1cm-thick strips. Trim and peel the carrots add cut them into thick slices. Chop the leaves off the pineapple then slice off the skin. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to scoop out any woody 'eyes'. Chop the pineapple into 2cm-wide chunks, discarding any really woody bit of core.

9. Place the casserole dish back on the hob over a meidum heat for 2 mins. Add 4 tbsp cold water and the onions and cook on a medium heat for 6-7 mins till softened.

10. Add the peppers and carrots to the cooked onions and cook them for 3-4 mins, till the peppers have softened slightly. Add the chicken, pineapple and sweet and sauce to the pan. Pour in 700ml boiling water and gently stir together.

11. Pop on a lid and cook on a low-medium heat for 40 mins till the chicken is tender and the veg is soft. Add a splash or two of water during cooking if you think it’s looking a little dry.

12. When the chicken has 35 mins left to cook, cook your rice. Tip the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water and whisk for 1-2 mins till the water goes cloudy. Drain, rinse and tip the rice into a small pan. Pour in 600ml boiling water. Add a pinch of salt. Cover, bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Gently simmer for 20-25 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take the pan off the heat. Pop the lid back on and leave the rice in the pan for 5 mins to steam it. The rice will stay warm in the pan while you finish the chicken.

13. Taste the sauce the chicken has been cooking in. Add more rice wine vinegar or salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

14. Fluff the rice with a fork and add a pinch or 2 of salt and pepper. Divide the rice between 4 warm plates. Top with the sweet and sour pineapple chicken and veg.