A taste of sweet and sour

While sweet and sour chicken may not have actually been a true, traditional Chinese dish, it is now a staple of Chinese restaurant menus in America. The dish's placement on the menu is well-deserved, as everyone enjoys the taste of fried chicken covered in the tangy sweet and sour sauce that makes it so popular. But for those who cannot afford ordering Chinese takeout every night, here is an alternative: learn to make your own! Apart from saving money on pricey Chinese restaurant food, homemade sweet and sour chicken will also probably be healthier as well. And if sweet and sour sauce is not the right taste for you, you can always invent your own sauce!

Sweet and sour chicken

Prep time is about 60 minutes. Makes about four servings.

- 1 cutting board

- 1 knife

- small bowls

- spoons

- measuring cups

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 2 tablespoons corn starch

- 2 teaspoons sugar

- 2 tablespoons ketchup

- 1/3 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon cooking wine

- cooking oil

- water

Preparation:

2.Mix together one teaspoon of cooking wine and 1/3 teaspoon of salt.

3.Marinate the chicken in the mixture and let it soak for 10 to 20 minutes.

4.While the chicken is marinating, mix together two tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of corn starch.

5.Then, after the chicken is done soaking, cover each piece with the flour and starch that has been evenly mixed.

6.Place the frying pan on the stove and pour enough oil so that the chicken will be just about covered with oil when placed in the pan. The amount of oil will vary depending on the size of the pan.

7.Heat the oil on the stove and wait for it to become hot enough. One way to test it is to try placing a piece of chicken into the oil. If the oil begins to sputter, it is a sign that the oil is hot enough.

8.At the same time, mix together another tablespoon of flour and half a tablespoon of corn starch. Add water and mix until the solution is free of lumps.

9.Once the oil is hot enough, begin to dip the chicken, which should already be covered in dry powder, into the wet flour and starch. Then place it into the oil to let it fry. The wet flour and starch is to ensure that the mixture will not fall off when fried.

10.Remember to turn the pieces of chicken over so that each side is fried evenly. Be careful of the splattering oil as well. Once the piece has been fried to a crispy yellowish-orange color, take it out onto a plate.

11.After all the chicken has been fried, clean out any remaining oil from the pan. Then, add about one teaspoon of oil, two tablespoons of ketchup and two tablespoons of sugar into the still-hot pan. You may need to turn the heat back on if the pan is not hot enough.

12.Stir and wait for the mixture to start heating. At the same time, mix together a one teaspoon of corn starch and two teaspoons of water.

13.Once the mixture has become hot, add the corn starch and water mixture.

14.Mix the sauce and begin dipping each piece of fried chicken into the pan and allow the sauce to stick to the piece before taking it back out.

15.Enjoy!