El Paso, Texas is a really great city exploding with flavor from a variety of different cuisines. Despite this, El Paso really lacks decent Chinese restaurants that can satisfy Brinda and my love for Chinese food. We waited 2 years for an amazing chinese restaurant to come to the city but had no luck. We decided to take matters in our own hands and create the food we love in our very own kitchen! A social media acquaintance introduced me to this recipe and I knew this was the perfect dish to make our debut in chinese cuisine! This recipe is adapted from Tasty.
Cook Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 cup cornstarch
3 cups flour
1 egg
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons oil
6 cups oil, for frying
Orange Sauce
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
¼ teaspoon chili flake
¼ cup of sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup white distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
RECIPE
Cut chicken into 1x1 inch cubes.
In a mixing bowl, combine salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and flour using a whisk.
Add egg, water, and oil until it begins to have a pancake batter consistency
Add chicken to the batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Heat oil in a wok or heavy bottom pan to 350˚F. There should be enough oil to submerge the chicken.
Add chicken and cook until lightly golden brown
Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate
Now we will begin the sauce. Get a heavy bottomed pot heat the oil with a medium-high heat
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds while continuously stirring
Stir in brown sugar and sugar
Add the orange juice and allow sugars to dissolve. Stir occasionally
Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Stir to combine
Add cornstarch and water in and separate bowl and whisk together. Once cornstarch has dissolved fully, add the mixture to the pan
Cook the sauce until the consistency resembles maple syrup
Add chicken and stir until it is completely coated in the sauce
Drizzle with sesame oil
Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!
CONCLUSION
The orange chicken came out so perfect! The fried batter around the chicken was crispy and held its form under the sweet orange sauce, creating the perfect texture for orange chicken. The chicken married the steamed rice well and the balance between the two was sublime. The dish was extremely filling and definitely satisfied our Chinese cuisine. This recipe makes about 8-9 servings. Thats a lot of food for very inexpensive ingredients. However, the frying process can be a bit tedious and messy so keep that in mind. The number of aprons we decided to give this recipe is...
