Orange Chicken

You've probably had this from Chowking. I had. I tried it because this is their newest dish back when we were home. I have always enjoyed orange chicken. I thought this might be good since I think all Chowking dishes are good. ;)  I was rather disappointed to see a very small portion served before me. It didn't help that the chicken pieces were tough. I was used to having them crunchy outside but juicy inside. I can't even recall how it tastes.

So here's an ambitious attempt to mimic the said dish. This time, with tender chicken meat.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 beaten egg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
panko breadcrumbs (optional,dish in above photo has no panko )
oil (for frying)
orange carpels (pith removed)

Orange Sauce-
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon minced ginger root
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons chopped green onion (optional)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Coat chicken pieces with flour, dip in egg then coat with panko. If you're not using panko then dip the chicken pieces first on egg and coat with flour.

Deep fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. Drain the oil well, or set aside on paper towels as you prepare the sauce.

In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken and add red pepper flakes. This enhances the flavor. Garnish also with green onions and orange carpels if you like. The orange carpels might be a little difficult so use the canned ones.

Happy cooking and eating!

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