Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cut the chicken into 3cm chunks and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of white pepper. Beat the egg in a bowl and toss the chicken in it. Put 80g of the cornflour in a shallow dish, drop in the chicken a few pieces at a time and press so the coating sticks, then shake off the excess. Rest the pieces on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes, as the coating needs to hydrate to stay on during frying.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice, and measure 100ml of juice (top up with water if needed). Whisk it in a jug with the rice vinegar, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce and 100ml of water. In a separate cup, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon (about 10g) of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Cut the onion and peppers into 2.5cm squares and finely chop the garlic and ginger.

Boil the rice in plenty of salted water for 11 to 12 minutes, drain and leave covered.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep, wide pan to 180°C (a cube of bread should turn golden in about 30 seconds). Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches for 4 to 5 minutes each, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper and keep warm in an oven at 120°C.

Carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Return the pan to high heat and stir-fry the onion and peppers for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender with a few charred edges. Add the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds.

Pour in the sauce and bring to the boil. Stir the cornflour mixture, add it to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the pineapple for 30 seconds to warm through.

Add the chicken and toss for only 20 to 30 seconds, so the coating stays crisp. Serve immediately with the rice. If you are not eating straight away, spoon the sauce over the plate and keep the chicken on top.