Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

For a lazy weekend meal, this is a recipe to serve family or guests. This adapted recipe comes from the Chinese or Taiwanese for preparing the “3 Cups Chicken".  For my own taste, I replace some of the sugar with blackstrap molasses and honey. The main ingredients are used in the same ratio to create the taste of sweet and sour. The sauce can be kept long in the refrigerator; so do not feel that the sauce needs to be finished immediately. Use a whole chicken to cut up or buy selected chicken parts as I am using in this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut in big chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, sliced
2 tbs peanut oil
1 tsp dried basil or 1/2 cup fresh basil
Sauce ingredients:
1 cup shoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1 cup light soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mushrooms seasoning (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs blackstrap molasses
2 tbs honey

Garnish with chopped basil

Directions:
In a sauté pan, heat oil until hot. Brown the chicken on all sides. If using dried basil, add to the chicken and place on to the bottom of a crock pot.

 Add the onions and garlic, to the sauté pan and stir to cook until fragrant and the onions start to caramelize.

 

 Place on top of the chicken.

Pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the top. Add 1/2 cup chopped basil (if using fresh basil), and a couple of dried Thai chili.

 Cover the crock pot and turn to low for 5 to 6 hours or to high for 3 to 4 hours. In the last hour of cooking, you can remove the lid so the sauce can be thickened more. The chicken can be removed and placed on a serving dish. The sauce can be poured into a saucepan and cooked on the stovetop to reduce the syrup and served on the side.