Sweet Chili Thai Chicken

So this is something I came up with after I had something similar at Milestones. I did make this into something original and yummy. Full of spice and flavour, this meal will bring your mouth alive. Serve it as an appetizer or with Thai Jasmine rice as dinner.



3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
flour

EGG WASH:
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
3/4 cup water

BREADING:
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp chili powder

SAUCE:
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp finely-grated ginger
5-8 dried red chilies
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sherry or cooking sherry
Juice from 1 small lime
3 tbsp + 2 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp corn syrup

1 1/2 cups sliced cucumber
1 mango sliced into strips
3/4 cup sliced green onion
1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Cut your chicken breasts into small, relatively even pieces. The size of the pieces is up to you. Place the pieces into a colander and wash with cold water. Remove from the colander and pat dry with paper towels or napkins.
2. Dredge each piece of chicken in all-purpose white flour and set aside.
3. Beat your eggs in a small mixing bowl with a whisk. Add your milk and water and beat so that all is well mixed.
4. Mix your bread crumbs with all the seasonings. I prefer to do this in a shallow pan rather than in a bowl, so its easier to bread the chicken. I made my own bread crumbs by cutting up a bun into pieces and toasting, then crushing them in a food processor, then toast them once again, but you can just buy ready-made bread crumbs.
5. With a pair of tongs, dip one piece of chicken into the egg wash and lift it out and leave it over the bowl for any excess egg mixture to drip back in. Transfer it to your bread crumb mixture, and press down so that all the bread crumbs and seasoning will stick to the chicken and mix with the flour. Flip it so that the chicken is well breaded. Set aside.
6. Mince your garlic, grate your ginger, and crush your dried chillies in a mortar and pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can just mince your chillies. Choose the number of chillies based on your love for spice. I used 8 and it was pretty hot (a little to much for my mom to handle), but I've definitely  had spicier food before.
7. Put all the "SAUCE" ingredients into a medium saucepan or pot. Heat on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
8. Now there are three ways to cook your chicken: deep fry, pan fry or oven-cook. I pan fried my chicken with a bit of canola oil. The amount of time it takes to cook your chicken will vary on the method you choose and the size of your chicken pieces.
1. If you deep fry, use canola oil and lift the basket every few minutes to see when its ready.
2. If you pan fry (which I did), again use canola oil at medium-low heat. Check your chicken every couple of minutes to see when they're ready to flip. The bread-coating should be golden-brown.
3. If you decide to cook in the oven, coat the chicken and an oven safe pan with canola oil and cook in the oven, checking to see when they're ready.
9. While your chicken is cooking, cut off 5" of a cucumber at a diagonal, then cut in half lengthwise. Slice your semi-circular cucumber, continuing in diagonal slicing so that the slices are a bit longer, and set your cucumber slices aside.
10. Cut your mango in half lengthwise and remove the pit as carefully as possible to not damage the mango. Remove the mango peel with a pairing knife, and like the mango halves into strips and then in half.
11. Place your cooked chicken into a large mixing bowl, add your cucumber and mango and mix with a spatula. Add your sauce, and fold to coat. Pour onto a large serving plate or onto individuals plates. Garnish with fresh sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Serve with Thai Jasmine rice.