Give your local Chinese a rest and make these crispy chicken balls for dinner but make sure to keep a couple to put in your lunch box! I used 7UP to make the batter but you can also use sparkling water or even milk. The fizz helps the balls to puff up when they hit the hot oil. It is often difficult to find a good sweet and sour sauce,  but this one is delicious and is relatively simple to make. It is also gluten free!

4-5 chicken breast fillets cut up into bite sized pieces

75 grams/½ cup cornflour (Cornstarch)

125 grams /1 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

236 millitres/1 cup of 7UP, sparkling water or milk

Oil for deep frying

Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan. You can also use a deep fryer if the element is hidden as the chicken will stick to it otherwise.

Also turn on your oven to 160C/320F to keep the chicken hot as you are frying off each batch.

Sift cornflour, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Gradually add the liquid, mixing until smooth with a whisk.

Add the chicken and ensure that each piece is well coated.

Deep fry in batches in hot oil until the internal temperature is 83C/181F. You can buy a digital thermometer in Brennans Wholesale shop in Doughcloyne or on Amazon. See link below:

Serve with boiled rice or with the stir fried rice that I posted for Chinese New Year.

Make these gluten free by substituting the flour and baking powder with a GF variety. I like the Dove’s Farm brand.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

This homemade sweet and sour sauce is delicious and gluten free but feel free to cheat with a store bought sauce!

150 milliteres chicken stock

2 tablespoons Shaoxing Rice Wine or dry sherry

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) blended with 2 tablespoons water

Add all the ingredients except the cornflour slurry to a sauce pan. Bring to the boil, add the cornflour slurry and turn the heat down and simmer for three minutes. Serve immediately.

Sauce adapted form Ken Hom’s Foolproof Chinese Cookery