Chinese American sweet and sour chicken

Combine about a pound of chicken thigh with about a teaspoon and a half cornstarch, half a teaspoon baking soda, two teaspoons sugar, half a teaspoon kosher salt, a teaspoon Shaoxing wine, a teaspoon light soy sauce and one egg white.

Massage the mixture vigorously into the chicken to help the marinade penetrate and mechanically tenderise it, then rest it at least 15 minutes.

Cut one small onion, one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper into a large dice, filleting the peppers from the top and leaving the pith and seeds.

Cut the tops off four garlic cloves, scrape the skin off the ginger with a spoon, and pound both to the fineness you want in a mortar and pestle.

Whisk the sauce cold: the juice from a 10 ounce can of pineapple, about three tablespoons ketchup, two tablespoons vinegar, about a tablespoon sugar, a teaspoon soy sauce, a splash of Shaoxing wine and one to two teaspoons cornstarch.

Cut the pineapple rings into chunky bits.

Velvet the chicken in water rather than oil: drop the marinated pieces one at a time into about a quart of boiling water in the wok so they do not clump.

Cook about 30 seconds to a minute, until the water comes back to a brief simmer and the pieces carry a thin coating that will hold the sauce.

Drain the chicken onto a sheet tray and spread it in a single layer to dry.

Rinse and dry the wok, return it to the heat with a film of oil and let it heat until it smokes.

Swirl the oil around the hot wok to coat it, which is longiao, then add the vegetables and let them cook without moving much.

When the vegetables are tender crisp with some char, push them to the side, add a little more oil and stir fry the garlic and ginger about 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add the chicken, pineapple, cashews and the sauce and cook briefly until the sauce is as thick as you want.

Serve with chili oil at the table for those who want it spicy.