Cooking Lesson #96 Cantonese Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken

How you doin”? Do you get cravings? I do… especially when someone tells me I can’t eat something; then the only thing I can think of is the “forbidden” food. Tell me I can’t have a doughnut and I will be thinking about doughnuts the rest of the day or until I can satisfy my cravings.  Who am I kidding? I think about doughnuts a lot anyway!
 
While I usually eat pretty healthfully, there are certain mall food court foods that I crave occasionally. One such Asian dish is the Orange Chicken from Panda Express. At China Rose (my restaurant in Dallas) we had a killer Orange Chicken. So here is a mixed hack that will satisfy your strongest food court craving for Cantonese Orange Chicken.

Orange chicken is a classic American dish with a “Chinese Accent.” It didn’t start out to have that distinctive crisp crunch and citrus flavor. In the 1800s, future Chinese railroad workers immigrated to America seeking better opportunities. At the time, their homeland was ravaged from a rebellion with an unstable economy. Their home cuisine had some sweet elements to it, but overall was simply made with lots of vegetables and very little meat stir-fried and served with rice.
 
The original “Orange Chicken” (actually, tangerine chicken) didn’t have any breading. The sauce was made of leftover citrus peels cooked with salty soy sauce, chilis and garlic. The sauce had a citrus element, but it wasn’t as intense or sweet as we think of Orange Chicken today. Similarly, Chow Mein, General Tso's Chicken and Orange Chicken are Americanized mutations of savory and sweet and sour dishes that were found in China. As a side note, the worst Sweet and Sour Chicken I ever had was in Beijing in the late 1970’s.
 
My Orange Chicken recipe hits all the craving buttons… it’s crispy, tangy, and sweet with plenty of sticky sauce to go over the rice.
 
                                         You will need a deep fryer thermometer for this recipe
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Fry time:  7 to 8 minutes
Stir-fry time:  2 to 3 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
For the sauce
1/3 cup oyster sauce (I prefer Lee Kum Kee)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, defrosted
1/2 cup sugar
3 ounces white vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman—the green cap)
1 tablespoon Aji-Mirin sweet cooking rice wine (Kikkoman) or sherry
1/2 tablespoon ground paprika
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
5 tablespoons minced or pressed garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked together with 1 tablespoon water
 
For the chicken
1-1/2 quarts plus 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided (vegetable oil can be substituted)
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2/3 cup ice cold water
2 cups chestnut flour (found in Asian stores sometimes labeled chestnut starch)
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 scallions… white bottoms cut into 2-inch pieces; green tops cut into slivered rings for garnish
White sesame seeds for garnish
1/4” sliced Orange wheels for garnish
 
Directions

1. In a small saucepan, add all the sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. As it begins to simmer, whisk and cook until it thickens. Set aside. 
2. In a wok, deep fryer, or 4-quart saucepan, bring 1-1/2 quarts of oil to 375⁰ F.
3. Mix 1 cup of the chestnut flour together with the ice-cold water to create a batter.
4. Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry chestnut flour and then lightly roll them in the batter. Shake off any excess batter and flour.
5. Deep fry the chicken in two batches until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 
6. Heat a wok or large skillet on high and add the 2 remaining tablespoons of oil.
7. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken, onion, and scallion bottoms and cook for 30 seconds. 
8. Add the sauce and stir to coat all the chicken and onions.
9. Simmer for about 2 minutes while gently tossing the chicken and sauce in the pan.
10. Serve over white rice and garnish with green onion circles, white sesame seeds and orange wheels.

ChefSecret:  

• My recipe calls for chestnut flour; if need be, you can substitute packaged tempura flour.
• You can make your own coating flour by combining 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons rice flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking powder. 
• Not quite as good, but still serviceable—if you want to skip frying your own chicken nuggets, stop at McDonalds on the way home to buy some Chicken McNuggets (KFC or Popeye’s nuggets or tenders can work as well) or use frozen chicken nuggets from the supermarket.

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