Chinese Orange-Sesame Chicken

blucoat's Note:

This Americanized Chinese recipe is a fusion of two classic dishes- orange chicken and sesame chicken. I found it on an excellent blog, " Appetite for China". This recipe makes extra sauce (perfect for rice!).

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• peanut oil, for frying (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Marinade

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 3 drops sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 3 drops sesame oil
• 1 few teaspoons oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• salt

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add chicken and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients: orange juice, chicken stock, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and sesame oil. In a small to medium sized pot, heat up a few teaspoons oil and sauté minced garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add apple cider vinegar, then the combined sauce ingredients. Simmer until liquid is reduced by three fourths, about 15 minutes. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until sauce thickens, then season with salt to taste. Set sauce aside and keep warm.
3. Drip excess marinade off the chicken, and toss cubes in 1 cup of cornstarch. Shake off excess before frying.
4. Meanwhile, heat up the 3 cups oil in a wok. When oil just begins to smoke, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
5. Reheat orange sauce and add drained chicken cubes. Mix until well-coated. Plate and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Reviews

[dieudee]

Overall it was good! However the sauce was a bit runny so I had to double up on the cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I also added chili peppers to give it a bit of a spice and steamed broccoli to compliment the dish.

[Sydney Mike]

This makes for a very tasty chicken dish, but then I like almost anything with OJ! Made this as indicated (although I did double the amount of sesame seeds) & served it with a combo brown rice & peas! Thanks much for posting this great recipe! [Tagged, made & reviewed in the Unrated Asian Recipe Tag Game]