Name: Red sweet & sour prawns
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 432g can pineapple chunks drained and juice reserved; ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder; pinch of ground white pepper plus a pinch extra to serve; 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 350g raw tiger prawns patted dry; 1 tsp cornflour; 1 tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 garlic clove crushed; 2½cm piece ginger finely grated; 1 red onion thinly sliced; 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped; 1 red pepper thinly sliced; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1-2 spring onions finely sliced, to serve; 1 tbsp cornflour; 100ml vegetable stock; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp tomato ketchup; 2 tbsp clear rice vinegar; 2 tbsp golden syrup

Large serving bowl of red sweet & sour prawns

432g can pineapple chunks
drained and juice reserved
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
pinch of ground white pepper
plus a pinch extra to serve
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
350g raw tiger prawns
patted dry
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove
crushed
2½cm piece ginger
finely grated
1 red onion
thinly sliced
1 red chilli
deseeded and finely chopped
1 red pepper
thinly sliced
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 spring onions
finely sliced, to serve

For the sweet & sour sauce

1 tbsp cornflour
100ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp clear rice vinegar
2 tbsp golden syrup

Method

step 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.
step 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.
step 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.