Orange-Sesame Chicken
[UPDATED 2011 RECIPE] I realized the other day that it’s been a while since I made sesame chicken. I’m pretty sure we’ve eaten the dish from a Chinese restaurant quite a few times though. It’s really easy to make but the part where you fry the chicken pieces is what discourages me coz it’s very time consuming. So if you’re going to make it make sure you have nothing else in mind or any other chore you have to do right at that moment.
But isn’t this post about orange-sesame chicken? It sure is, and guess what, it’s just like making sesame chicken. We’re just going to add juice and zest of fresh juicy oranges.
Orange-Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
BATTER
- 3-4 pcs boneless chicken breast (sliced in chunks)
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cup water (+ more if the batter is too thick)
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- salt & pepper
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 oranges (for the zest & juice)
- sprinkle of garlic powder
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- First, use a grater to zest the oranges. Set the zest in a bowl, cover and store in the fridge.
- Heat up oil in a small pot or fryer. Whisk together a beaten egg, cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Dip the marinated chicken chunks into the batter. Do this in batches. Fry the battered chicken pieces in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pot. Fry ‘em up in batches too.
- Drain each batch of fried chicken pieces using a strainer with a pot or bowl underneath.
- While frying up the last batch of chicken, make the sauce in another pan. In a non-stick pan, whisk together ketchup, honey, sugar, water, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, juice of 1 orange, orange zest, and sprinkle of sesame seeds. Add more water if necessary. Keep whisking until sauce is thickened.
- Once all the chicken have been fried, add them into the sauce. Gently stir everything together.
- Gently stir the crispy fried chicken cutlets and sauce.
Transfer into a serving platter/bowl. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds.
Serve with rice.