Mango Chicken

This mango chicken dish combines sweet and sour flavors. The sauce is made mostly of mangoes and roasted red peppers which give it an intense red color. I battered and fried the chicken, but you can save time by just stir frying it.

I've never had great success battering chicken, but I have moved a big step closer to a viable technique. I used cornstarch and water to make a thick paste, mixed in the cut-up chicken, and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes. Between the viscosity of the cornstarch mixture and the cold temperature, you end up with a coating that doesn't want to go anywhere.

While waiting for the chicken to chill, I can started making the sauce. The base of the sauce is the simply flesh of two mangoes, and a jar of roasted red peppers. They go into the food processor to be liquefied.

One problem I often have with frying the chicken is not using enough oil. This time I used about a half inch in the pan, and it worked great. The chicken fried perfectly, and the oil was clear and free from particles. 

The mango/pepper puree went into a pan with brown sugar, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and a pinch of chili powder. At the same time I lightly sauteed onions and green and red bell peppers. When the sauce was hot and the vegetables cooked al dente, I mixed everything together in the pan and scooped some onto my plate.