Spiced Sticky Chicken, Plums and Pancakes
In our house, as the kids were growing up, crispy duck and pancakes from our local Chinese restaurant was a very special treat. This recipe is a take on spiced crispy duck pancakes, using chicken and a lovely fresh plum sauce.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
Ingredients
3 skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground
white pepper
2 tsp Chinese five spice
Drizzle groundnut oil
Sunflower oil
10cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 plums, halved, stones removed and discarded, flesh roughly chopped
2 star anise
3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced into
5 cm strips
½ cucumber, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
12 Chinese-style pancakes
Method
Put the chicken breasts into a bowl and add some sea salt, the white pepper and Chinese five spice. Add a drizzle of groundnut oil and toss everything together.
Put a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little more oil. Lay in the chicken breasts, scraping any marinade from the bowl onto the meat too. Cook for around 8 minutes, until the chicken is charred.
Flip the chicken over and cook for 6-8 minutes more until cooked through and gnarly. Transfer to a plate to rest.
Meanwhile, wipe the pan clean and put it back on the hob over a medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and the chopped ginger, and fry for a minute.
Add the chopped plums, star anise and 4 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and let the fruit soften for a couple of minutes.
Add the sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer and leave to bubble and soften for another5-10 minutes, until the sauce is sticky and rich. Add a splash more water if the sauce is thickening before the plums have softened enough.
When the sauce is ready, slice and shred the chicken.
Transfer the chicken to a platter with the sliced spring onions and cucumber. Serve with the warm pancakes and a bowl of the sticky plum sauce on the side.
