Spiced Sticky Chicken with Plums and Pancakes: A Quick-Dinner Takeaway-Inspired Recipe

Georgina Hayden describes the dish as a home-cooked version of the Chinese takeaway classic crispy duck pancakes. The recipe is positioned as a fast after-school or work-night meal that can also be served over jasmine rice for a different finish.

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• 2 skinless chicken breasts (?150 g each)

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• Sea salt, 1 tsp

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• Freshly ground white pepper, 1½ tsp

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• Chinese five-spice, 1 tsp

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• Groundnut oil, 10 cm piece for marinating plus additional for frying

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• Fresh ginger, 10 cm piece, peeled and finely chopped

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• 3 plums, halved, stoned, flesh roughly chopped

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• 2 star anise

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• Soft dark brown sugar, 3 tbsp

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• Rice vinegar, 1 tbsp

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• Soy sauce, 2 tbsp

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• Spring onions, 1 bunch, trimmed and cut into 5 cm strips

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• Cucumber, ½, trimmed and cut into matchsticks

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• 12 Chinese-style pancakes

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1. Toss the chicken breasts with sea salt, white pepper, five-spice and a drizzle of groundnut oil.

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2. Pan-fry in a medium-high heated skillet with additional oil, cooking about 8 minutes on the first side until charred, then 6–8 minutes on the second side until fully cooked. Rest the meat.

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3. In the same pan, add groundnut oil and the chopped ginger; fry for one minute.

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4. Add the plum pieces, star anise and 4 tbsp water; bring to a boil and simmer until the fruit softens.

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5. Stir in sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce; simmer for 5–10 minutes until the sauce becomes sticky and rich, adding water if needed to soften the plums further.

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The cooked chicken is sliced and placed on warm Chinese-style pancakes, topped with the plum-sweet sauce, spring-onion strips and cucumber matchsticks. Alternatively, Hayden suggests serving the chicken and sauce over jasmine rice, using the same accompaniments.

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The recipe emphasizes speed and simplicity: preparation takes roughly 10 minutes, cooking about 35 minutes, and the dish serves four. Its blend of sweet plum sauce, aromatic star anise and five-spice offers a flavor profile reminiscent of restaurant-style Chinese takeaways while remaining accessible for home cooks seeking a satisfying, family-friendly meal.

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