Cantonese Lemon Chicken Recipe

• 500 grams / 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 2 teaspoons of sherry
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons of cornflour
• an extra ½ cup of cornflour
• 2½ tablespoons of plain flour
• Oil for deep frying

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of sherry
• 2 teaspoons of cornflour
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 very finely sliced spring onions
• 1 lemon sliced for garnish

Cut the chicken into strips about 1 cm wide and set aside. Combine the egg, water, soy sauce, sherry and cornflour in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the chicken strips, mixing well and set aside for 10 minutes. Sift theextra cornflour and plain flour together onto a plate. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, coating each piece evenly and shaking off any excess. Place the chicken in a single layer on a cooking paper lined plate ready to be deep fried.

Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok or large pan. Test the oil is hot enough by dropping in a cube of bread, it should brown in 30 seconds. Carefully lower a few pieces of chicken into the oil and cook until golden brown. Remove the chicken witha slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue cooking the remaining chicken in small batches. This can be done ahead of time if required and stored in the refrigerator until needed.

Lemon Sauce

Combine the lemon juice, water, sugar and sherry in a small pan. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Combine the cornflour with a tablespoon of water in a small cup. Add to the lemon juice mixture; stirring constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Set the sauce aside.

Just before serving, reheat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add all the chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes until very crisp and golden brown. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Pile the chicken onto a serving plate, drizzle over the sauce and sprinkle with the sliced spring onions. Garnish with sliced lemon and serve immediately with freshly steamed rice.

(Serves 4 to 6)