sweet & sour chicken

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking temperature low

Cooking time 6¼–8¼ hours

Serves 4

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

8 small chicken thighs, about 1 kg (2 lb) in total, skinned, boned and cubed

4 spring onions, thickly sliced; white and green parts kept separate

2 carrots, halved lengthways and thinly sliced

2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

430 g (14¼ oz) can pineapple chunks in natural juice

300 ml (½ pint) chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 tablespoon tomato purée

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

225 g (7½ oz) can bamboo shoots, drained

125 g (4 oz) bean sprouts

100 g (3½ oz) mangetout, thinly sliced

rice, to serve

Preheat the slow cooker if necessary; see the manufacturer’s instructions. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken thighs and fry, stirring, until browned on all sides. Mix in the white sliced spring onions, carrots and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the pineapple chunks and their juice and the stock. Put the cornflour, tomato purée and sugar into a small bowl, then gradually mix in the soy sauce and vinegar to make a smooth paste. Stir into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring.

Tip the chicken and sauce into the slow cooker pot, add the bamboo shoots and press the chicken beneath the surface of the sauce. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6–8 hours.

When almost ready to serve, add the green spring onion, the beansprouts and mangetout to the slow cooker pot and mix well. Replace the lid and cook, still on low, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Spoon into rice-filled bowls.

For lemon chicken, make up the recipe as above to the addition of the chicken stock. Gradually mix the juice of 1 lemon into the cornflour to make a smooth paste, then stir into the stock with 2 tablespoons dry sherry and 4 teaspoons caster sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring, then add to the slow cooker pot and cook as above, adding the green spring onion, bean sprouts and mangetout at the end.