I was looking for something quick and easy to make for supper today, plus I was also kind of craving Chinese food of some kind, any kind. I didn't necessarily want to pay the high prices of buying a meal from our local Chinese restaurant however.
And to be honest the last few times I have gotten a meal from there, I have found it disappointing. Could it be possible that my tastes have become Briticised? Its probably highly likely I suppose!
I used to love to get a Chinese meal from our local restaurant when I lived here before, but I found their food to be quite bland now. Eileen picked me up one while I was in Quarantine last November, and I bought some for the three of us a few weeks ago when Eileen and Tim were here for supper one night.
Anyways, I decided to wing it and make a simple Orange Chicken recipe for myself here at home. I did size the recipe to feed just two people and I can tell you that it turned out gorgeous!
Sweet and sour maybe, but not Orange. I have heard however that it is a very popular dish in a lot of Chinese restaurants and I was keen to try it myself.
I did a search online for a recipe and found quite a few that were very similar, but with small differences between each. I didn't want to use orange marmalade in my chicken.
I wanted it to be sweet, but I didn't want it to be too sweet, nor did I want bitter. Nix the marmalade.
I ended up cobbling together a few different recipes to make a delicious entrée, built specifically for just two people.
It has a fresh orange flavor and a slight sweetness, but not overly so. At the same time it is garlicky and tangy, a bit gingery and there is a tiny bit of heat.
I chose to use chicken breast meat. I knew I would be flash frying it so I wasn't too worried about it really drying out. I didn't want to use chicken thigh meat which is greasier.
I know a lot of people prefer the thigh meat over the breast, and admittedly it does have a gamier flavor than the breast. This is due to it being from a part of the chicken that works a lot harder.
My timings are pretty concise, and calculated to cook small bites of chicken breast to perfection. If you aim to have your chicken pieces all cut uniformly in size, or as much as you can do so, they will all cook in the same amount of time.
In addition I have used soy sauce. I like Kikkoman fermented light soy sauce. It is brewed and not overly salty.
This is balanced out with a bit of sour which comes from the use of Chinese rice wine vinegar. This is usually seasoned, and soy sauce is also a bit salty, so do be judicious when it comes to adding salt!
I did not want to cloud the sauce with bits of things, so for this reason chose to use the powdered ginger and also garlic granules rather than fresh.
I don't like my food to bite me back, so I really use this ingredient with caution.
I also think that a really great Chinese dish deserves a really great garnish. It doesn't get much better than spring onions, or scallions as they are also called. Very finely sliced and scattered over top with a bit of sesame seed for contrast. Perfect.
I served with some steamed jasmine rice and broccoli. It was a delicious, delicious meal. I think you will agree with me if you chance to cook it yourself. If you are wanting to feed more people, it is very easy to double the ingredients as well! Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!
Chinese Orange Chicken for Two
Yield: 2Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 MinNothing could be easier than this delicious make at home version of a Chinese Take out favorite!Ingredients
For the chicken:- 2 large egg whites
- 1 TBS cornstarch (corn flour)
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 TBS canola oil for frying
- 1/2 cup (120ml) orange juice, divided
- 1 TBS soy sauce
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 TBS seasoned Rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 TBS finely grated orange zest
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- pinch of crushed red chilies
- 1 tsp cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 spring onion, washed trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp sesame seeds
- steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- First make the chicken. Whisk the cornstarch and egg whites together with a fork until almost frothy. Add the chicken and stir it into the mixture to coat all the chicken pieces well. Leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces one at a time to prevent them from sticking to each other. Cook, gently moving them around for 2 to 3 minutes until light golden brown. Scoop out onto a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm.
- Make the sauce by whisking the 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice, soy sauce, orange zest, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, crushed red peppers, garlic and ginger together in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble for 3 to 4 minutes until the flavor are well melded together.
- Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) of orange juice and the corn starch. Whisk this mixture into the sauce mixture and cook, whisking constantly until the sauce begins to thicken. Cook for several minutes.
- Stir the chicken into the sauce, to coat it well.
- Serve immediately spooned over rice. Garnish with some sesame seed and sliced spring onions.
All nutritional data is calculated by the recipe card program and may not be entirely accurate.