Crispy Orange Chicken
My stay-in version of the popular Chinese take-out dish.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 1/4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- The whites of 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Sauce:
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic (or, use garlic paste)
- 2 teaspoons minced, fresh ginger (or, use bottled ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon (or more, to taste) red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or, use white or rice vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or gluten-free Tamari sauce)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- The grated zest of 1 large orange
For thickening the sauce:
- 1/4 cup orange juice blended with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Suggested garnish and accompaniments:
- Sliced scallion, steamed broccoli florets, wedges of orange
Instructions
Preparing the chicken:
- Cut the chicken into bite-size morsels. Tip the egg whites and cornstarch into a medium bowl, and whisk until slightly foamy -- about 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the bowl, and toss with a spatula to coat. Let the chicken marinate for about 10 minutes.
Heating the oil:
- While the chicken is marinating, pour 2 inches of the vegetable oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Insert a deep-fry thermometer, and warm the oil over medium heat until the thermometer registers 350°F.
Making the sauce:
- While the oil is heating, set a large (10- or 12-inch diameter) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup orange juice to the skillet, then whisk in the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper, vinegar, soy sauce, and orange zest. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Frying the chicken:
- To avoid clumping, add the chicken pieces one-by-one to the hot oil, frying in batches until the chicken just starts to color -- 1 or 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Then, to really crisp up the chicken, return all of it to the oil in one large batch. Fry until the pieces turn a rich golden brown -- about 2 minutes. Drain on fresh paper towels.
Finishing and serving:
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then whisk in the orange juice-cornstarch slurry. Whisk until the sauce thickens -- 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add all of the chicken, and toss is about so that each morsel glistens with sauce. Serve hot or warm with the above suggested garnish and accompaniments.