Sous Vide Sweet and Sour Chicken

When cooking chicken thighs sous vide, I would normally recommend cooking it at 65C, but for this recipe we’re cooking it at just 60C because we’re battering and frying it after and we don’t want it to overcook. This is healthier than a lot of sweet and sour recipes because we’ve used fresh tomato juice in place of tomato ketchup, and not nearly as much sugar as some recipes call for. In addition, we’ve used fresh pineapple instead of canned.

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 02:00

Temperature : 140F / 60C

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup diced Chinese cabbage
• 1/2 carrot, diced
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped dried Thai chiles (optional)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons juice from canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 140ºF (60ºC).
2. Combine chicken with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 2 hours.
4. About 15 minutes before the chicken is finished, prepare the vegetables: Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the pineapple, bell pepper, onion, cabbage, carrot, and dried chiles (if using). Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, combine the cold water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl.
7. Add the tomato juice, tomato paste, brown sugar, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch mixture to the vegetables. Stir to combine, turn the heat to low, and cover to keep warm.
8. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to a large saucepan and heat to 375ºF over medium-high heat.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. Dredge the chicken in the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch, and then dip into the beaten eggs.
3. Carefully transfer the coated chicken to the saucepan of hot oil. Fry, stirring frequently, until chicken is golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
4. Place the drained chicken on a serving platter and top with sweet and sour sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve.