Orange Peel Chicken

Submitted by Idiotbox

I aquired this recipe a while back, when looking for a knockoff of PF Chang's Orange Peel Chicken. Although this is similar, I think (in the words of one famous chef) I've kicked it up a notch. In commemoration of the California citrus crop disaster last week, I present Orange Peel Chicken.

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Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 4 green onions heads, sliced (reserve greens for garnish)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar + taste (See note)
• Juice of an orange
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha + taste (See note)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Fine-grated peel of 1/4th of the orange (microplane fun)

Chicken

• Oil for frying
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 egg, beaten, combined w/ tablespoon water
• Flour to dredge
• Panko to coat
• Peel from other 3/4s orange, cut into thin strips, whites removed

Procedure

First, we shall address the sauce. I am making a half-recipe, so expect to see less of everything than mentioned above.

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To begin: chop garlic and onions finely; add to pan with oil and let sizzle 1-2 minutes:

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Next, combine all other sauce ingredients with garlic/onions and mix. Depending on your tastes, you may wish to add more sugar and/or Sriracha. I usually, for a half-recipe, add another teaspoon (approximately) of both.

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Let cook down 5-7 minutes. In the meanwhile, prepare your orange:

The victim, after slicing but before being squeezed into the sauce.

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Now, cut the orange peel into ~8 smaller pieces. Take a small knife and remove as much of the white as possible. After purging of bitter bits, slice into thin strips and set aside.

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Now, the chicken itself:

Wash chicken breasts, pat dry, cut into small pieces (bite-sized is best). Liberally salt and pepper.

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Dredge in flour, shake, dip in egg/water mixture, shake, coat in panko. Beware of CLUB HAND.

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Let tri-layered chicken bits sit at least ten minutes so that the egg layer firms up. This is important.

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Add oil to wok or pan, get hot, throw in chicken (don’t crowd!) in batches until nicely browned on both sides. Watch the heat – too hot may burn panko. Let all chicken sit a few minutes draining on paper towels, and chunk any excess oil.

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No images for this next part (it happens too fast!). Reheat the pan with a very small amount of oil. Throw in the orange peel strips and let cook ~20 seconds, then add chicken and cook a minute or so, until peels soften and brown a bit. Add sauce to coat (TAKE THE PAN OFF THE FIRE AT THIS POINT OR OH GOD, THE STICKY SUGARY BURNED MESS!) and cook with residual heat ~30 seconds, until sauce becomes nice and sticky but not too dry. The sound and smell of the sauce hitting the hot pan will make the club hand you got from battering the chicken worth it.

Serve with chopped green onion garnish and brown or white rice. Broccoli bonus.

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Tasty.