Honeyed Chicken and Pineapple (China)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons grated, pared fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 scallions, cut into thin slices

Instructions

1. Remove giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken and cut into serving size pieces. Coat chicken pieces with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in wok over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, to hot oil (cook only 1/3 of the pieces at a time). Cook until golden and completely cooked. about 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the oil out of wok. Stir fry ginger and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 1 minute.
4. Add drained pineapple and the sliced pepper to ginger mixture. Stir fry over high heat 2 minutes. Remove from wok.
5. Mix water and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Blend in honey, bouillon and sesame oil. Pour mixture into wok. Cook and stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens.
6. Return chicken and pineapple-pepper mixture to wok. Cook and stir over high heat until hot throughout. Add scallions. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer.