Orange Chicken

Faced with two full bottles of orange juice just one day before leaving, the only choice I thought of was using that delicious orange juice in making orange chicken. I had heard really good stuffs about this orange hued Chinese chicken preparation and now was the time to make it. I wanted to make it so many times before but somehow it got always pushed away and the recipe could not materialize before. But now, I had the time as well as the ingredients...and there were two hungry adult people in my house, so no worry about leftovers too!!!

About orange chicken, I can only say that please give it a try!! It’s sweet, sticky, spicy and delicious and it will go perfectly well with any kinds of spicy stir fried noodles or fried rice. I am definitely going to make this so many times more. I already know.

Make the sauce by mixing the orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, garlic and chilli paste, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger julienne, red chilli, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Pour this sauce in a pan and simmer on low flame for 3-5 minutes.

Add the prepared corn starch slurry ( 2tsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water).

As the sauce thicken add the fried chicken pieces.

Stir to mix them with the sauce.

Add the chopped spring onions.

Give them another mix and switch off the flame.

Orange chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (cut into small bite size pieces)

500 ml orange juice

2 tbsp lime juice

1 and ½ tsp Chinese rice wine vinegar

½ tsp sesame oil 

Zest of 2 oranges

1 and ½ inch ginger – cut into thin strips of julienne

2 red chillies – cross cut

1 tbsp Chinese garlic and chilli paste

2 tsp corn starch

2 tbsp all purpose flour / corn starch

4 tbsp light soy sauce

8 garlic cloves – minced

1 tsp grounded black pepper

2 sprigs of spring onion- finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp white oil

Salt to taste

Method:

In a cup pour the orange juice, lime juice, orange zest, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic and chilli paste, red chillies, minced garlic, ginger juliennes, remaining soy sauce, salt and pepper. Give them a good mix and keep aside.

In a bowl take all the chicken pieces.

Add 2 tbsp corn flour / corn starch, 1 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Mix them gently and leave to marinade for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the chicken pieces to them.

Fry on low flame giving them a little toss every now and then, so that all the pieces are evenly cooked.

When the chicken pieces become nice brown and crispy take them out of the pan and keep aside in a bowl.

Clean the skillet with a tissue paper and pour in the prepared sauce.

Pour in the sauce and let it come to a boil.

Put the flame on sim and simmer the sauce for 5-6 minutes.

In a cup mix in the remaining corn starch with 2 tbsp room temperature water.

Pour in this slurry into the simmering sauce.

The sauce will start to thicken immediately.

Add the fried chicken pieces to this sauce.

Stir to mix them with the sauce.

Finally add the chopped spring onions.

Switch off the flame and serve immediately with some more orange zest on top of it.