Sweet & sour chicken

Ingredients

• 4 servings vegetable oil for frying
• 100 ml seltzer water chilled
• 140 g self raising flour 
• 25 g cornstarch 
• 4  chicken breast boneless skinless cut into chunks
• 4 servings spring onion shredded finely
• 1  bell pepper red deseeded chopped
• 3  pepper flakes red halved deseeded cut into chunks, 2 and
• 425 g pineapple chunks drained canned
• 4  star anise 
• 50 g tamarind paste 
• 100 g sugar 
• 100 ml rice vinegar chinese

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk

Directions

1. For the sauce, put the red pepper, chunks of chilli and pineapple juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 10 mins, then pure in a food processor. Return to the pan with the pineapple chunks, chilli halves, star anise, tamarind, sugar and vinegar. Gently simmer for 20-30 mins until reduced and sticky. Keep warm, or reheat to serve.
2. Fill a large pan 1cm deep with oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Whisk the soda water and 100ml cold water into the self-raising flour with a little salt. Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low.
4. Stir the batter well. Dust the chicken with cornflour, then dip into the batter. One at a time, lower into the hot oil (about 5-6 every batch). Turn up the heat to keep the chicken frying, if needed, and cook for 5-6 mins, turning once. When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side, and scatter with shredded spring onions.