CHICKEN WITH JAKFRUIT
I was supposed to use mangoes in this recipe, but there were no mangoes. I had been given a jakfruit, and the flesh around the seeds looked very interesting, so I substituted. This is the recipe I tried, and it was delicious.
Ingredients:
3 whole chicken breasts
5 cm piece green ginger
425g sliced jakfruit
8 shallots
¾ cup water
2 Tbl dry sherry
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbl white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 chicken stock cubes
2 tsp cornflour
oil for deepfrylng
2 Tbl oil, extra
Batter:
¾ cup plain wholemeal flour
¼ cup self-raising wholemeal flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
Method:
1. To make the batter, sift dry ingredients into a bowl, gradually add water and mix to a smooth batter. When all the water has been added, whisk for three minutes. Cover the bowl, stand 30 minutes, whisk again just before using.
2. Remove skin from chicken breasts. With small sharp knife, gently remove chicken meat from each half of each breast, giving six pieces. Cut chicken meat into 1 cm strips. Place in batter. Mix well. Remove chicken strips one at a time from batter, drop into deep hot oil, fry until golden brown; drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining chicken in batches. Set chicken aside.
3. Peel ginger, cut into wafer-thin slices. Heat extra oil in pan or wok, add ginger, fry gently for two minutes. Cut peeled shallots into 1 cm diagonal pieces. Cut jakfruit into 1 cm strips.
4. Combine water, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, crumbled stock cubes and cornflour. Stir until sauce is boiling, reduce heat, simmer three minutes. Add chicken, jakfruit and shallots, toss for three minutes. Serve immediately.
NOTE: It is important that, once the chicken has been tossed in the sauce, it is served immediately, otherwise the batter will soften. Serves 4 to 6.
DATE: March 1982
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
