Orange Chicken

These crispy, batter fried chicken smothered in a tangy, sweet orange sauce is probably one of the most popular dishes in the “American Chinese” cuisine. I am not exactly sure about how original this dish is or how closely it defines the Chinese cuisine, but growing up with “Indian Chinese”, I know how a certain dish is able  adapt to the needs of a country, set it roots and almost claims to have belonged there forever. In the process an entirely new cuisine is born.

Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the “American Chinese”  and the regular Asian take outs, will know how the “Orange Chicken” is sought after. My daughter absolutely loves this. And we hardly ever do take-outs or eat “Chinese” in America, for we love our “Indian Chinese” too much to change loyalties.

I am not so fond of it. The Orange Chicken I mean. While I like the tangy sauce, it is the sweet in it that I really have not been able to appreciate yet. So I added plenty of chili pepper to my version.

Every Chinese restaurant in America has their own version of this dish. They all kind of taste the same to me or that I stop at one bite has not allowed me to investigate deeper into the difference of flavors. One evening the daughter wanted “Panda Express Orange Chicken“. When I say wanted, it is that kind of intense, uncontrolled craving. I understand that kind of craving. I have had them, only never for Orange Chicken. But a craving is a craving and it better be tended to.

So I started getting the ingredients together, wanting to give it a try… and at last “Orange Chicken” happened in my kitchen.

I am making no claims that this is the restaurant style. It is only what I came up with and it left my girl completely satisfied. And that is what finally matters, right?

Orange Chicken

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1. 1.5 pound chicken breast (cut into bite-size cubes – about 3/4 inch to 1 inch)
2. 1 tablespoon vinegar
3. 6 dried whole red chili peppers + 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
4. 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
5. 2 inch ginger (minced)
6. 3 teaspoons orange zest
7. 3 stalk scallion (white parts and green parts, sliced finely in rings)
8. 3/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
9. 1/4 cup water or broth
10. 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
11. 1 – 2 teaspoon light soy sauce (adjust amount to suit your taste
12. 4-6 tablespoon sugar/brown sugar/ (adjust to how sweet you want it to be)
13. 1/6 teaspoon white pepper powder
14. 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
15. 1.5 tablespoon oil  + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for flavor
16. salt to taste

Note: if you want a nice glazed look on the chicken, you can use a couple of tablespoon of orange jelly/marlamade while cooking the sauce. If you use this, adjust the juice and the sugar.

 

For the batter fried chicken:

1. 1 egg
2. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1/4 cup corn starch
4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5. a small drizzle of oil
6. 1 teaspoon minced ginger
7. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
8. salt to taste
9. white pepper, adjust to taste
10. water, just enough to make a paste/batter that would coat the chicken pieces
11.  oil to deep fry 

 

 

Method:

Wash the chicken and pat dry. In a non reactive bowl add the 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt, minced ginger and garlic, white pepper powder and toss them well; allow it to sit for about 15-20 minutes.

Combine egg (whisked), all purpose flour, corn starch/flour, oil, baking soda and water and until smooth and there are no lumps. Heat oil to deep fry. Add the chicken pieces to the batter (make sure they are well coated) and deep fry them in batches. Transfer on paper towels and set aside.

Combine orange juice, water/broth, vinegar, soy sauce, zest, sugar, salt, pepper powder and corn starch; stir well and set aside. If you want extra sauce, add extra water.

In a deep bottomed pan or wok, add 1.5 tablespoon of oil and then add the crushed pepper if you are using and the dried whole chili peppers. As the oil heats up and the peppers start to change color add the minced ginger and garlic and quickly stir-fry them until fragrant.

Now add the sliced white parts of the scallions and the batter fried chicken. Toss well  for about a couple of minutes for the oil to coat the chicken.

Add the sauce mix  that you had set aside to the wok. Stir-fry  until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Switch off the heat when you think you have the right amount of sauce and consistency. The sauce should have coated the chicken pieces well.

Drizzle the toasted sesame oil and garnish with the scallion greens.

Serve hot with white rice or fried rice.

 

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