Red sweet & sour prawns

Ingredients

For 6 servings

• •432 g can pineapple chunks drained and juice reserved
• •0.5 c. à café Chinese five-spice powder
• •pinch of ground white pepper plus a pinch extra to serve
• •2 c. à soupe Shaoxing rice wine
• •1 c. à soupe light soy sauce
• •350 g raw tiger prawns patted dry
• •1 c. à café cornflour
• •1 c. à soupe rapeseed oil
• •1 garlic clove crushed
• •2.5 cm piece ginger finely grated
• •1 red onion thinly sliced
• •1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
• •1 red pepper thinly sliced
• •1 c. à café toasted sesame oil
• •1 -2 spring onions finely sliced, to serve
• •1 c. à soupe cornflour
• •100 ml vegetable stock
• •1 c. à soupe light soy sauce
• •1 c. à soupe tomato ketchup
• •2 c. à soupe clear rice vinegar
• •2 c. à soupe golden syrup

Method

1. 1.For the sauce, put the cornflour in a jug and gradually whisk in 50ml of the juice reserved from the pineapple can. Whisk in all the remaining ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2. 2.In a bowl, combine the five-spice powder, white pepper, 1 tbsp of the rice wine and soy sauce. Add the prawns and toss to coat, then set aside to marinate for 5 mins. Remove the prawns from the marinade and dust with the cornflour.
3. 3.Heat a wok over high heat until shimmering, then drizzle in the oil. Swirl the oil, then add the garlic, ginger, onion and chilli. Stir-fry for 5-10 seconds, until the onion starts to caramelise. Add the prawns and let them sear on one side for 5 seconds before you stir. Deglaze with the remaining rice wine and toss the prawns, stirring for 1 min. Scatter in the peppers and toss, then mix in the drained pineapple chunks. Pour over the sweet & sour sauce and bring to the bubble. Cook until the sauce has deepened in colour, reducing for 2-3 mins, and the prawns and vegetables are tender and cooked through. Season with the sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle over the spring onions to serve.