Goethe’s West-Eastern Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German author considered to be one of the fathers of comparative literature because of his interest in cross-pollination between Eastern and Western literary traditions. Although Goethe wouldn’t have been familiar with sweet-and-sour chicken, we chose to associate it with him because of the way this dish brings together elements of Asian and American cooking and cultures, allowing their different flavors to complement each other.

Goethe drew on many different linguistic and generic traditions in his own works, in addition to introducing many Asian and Indian authors into the Western canon.

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Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onions for 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and peppers and continue to sauté until tender.

Stir in pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and ketchup. Add garlic salt, salt, ginger, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add canned pineapple chunks.

Arrange several pieces of chicken in a 9x13x2 pan, either individual thighs and breasts, or a cut-up fryer.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake, covered with foil, at 400°F degrees for 45 minutes. Then remove foil and cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes (or until done).