Weekly Recipe: Orange Chicken

Last week I posted a recipe for Braised Cabbage and I promised I'd share the Asian dish I served alongside it.  As promised, here's the Orange Chicken dish that I was hesitant to make but I was so glad I did.  I wasn't a fan of the corn starch and the frying but a little splurge every now and then is okay even for me!  This dish was fantastic!  It was very reminiscent of a dish you might find at P.F. Chang's or a similar Asian restaurant.  Even though it certainly wasn't fat free, I still took comfort in knowing there wasn't a ton of sodium added to it and I knew all of the ingredients (including the organic, non-cat, chicken!).  Give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one!

Orange Chicken

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the marinade and sauce:

• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
• 1½ tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 6 Tbs. white vinegar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated
• ¼-½  tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1½ lbs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbs. cold water

For the Coating and Frying:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 cups peanut or canola oil

To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan and whisk to blend well.

Measure out ¾ cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large zipper lock plastic bag.  Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well.  Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, but no longer (the acid from the orange juice and vinegar will make the chicken mushy if it's left too long).

Place the saucepan with the remaining mixture on the stove and heat over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add the mixture to the saucepan with the sauce.  Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.

To make the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate or shallow bowl and whisk until frothy.  In a second pie plate combine the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne pepper.  Whisk to blend.  Drain the chicken from  the marinade in a large strainer and pat dry with paper towels.  Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat.  Transfer the pieces to the cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess.  Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in a 11- or 12-inch round Dutch oven or large sauce pan until the oil reaches 350˚ F.  Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through cooking.  Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.  Return the oil to 350˚ F and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

When all the chicken has been fried, reheat the sauce if necessary, and toss with the chicken in a large bowl.  Serve over rice.