Orange Chicken

As I mentioned in this post about Asian take-out style spare ribs, orange chicken is my 9 year old grandson's third favorite food, and so, of course, I had to make it for him. I adore this boy.

One of the manifestations of my adoration is the ratio of apps on my iPad that are for him vs the number of apps for me. I think it's about 70:1. Nothing wrong with that, right?

One Christmas, his mom gave him $20 to spend at his school's PTA gift buying event. He spent $19 on a necklace for me...... Sigh..... I still wear that necklace as often as I can, and I get compliments every time!  And every time he sees me wearing it, I can tell it makes him so happy.

When he says he loves orange chicken, I need to make it for him.

Orange Chicken

Adapted from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Quick and Easy Dishes to Prepare at Home.

Ingredients

Marinade

1 T soy sauce

1 T dry sherry

2 large egg whites

Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 C cornstarch 

Sauce

1/3 C orange juice

1/4 C chicken stock

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 T soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 T brown sugar

1 tsp orange zest

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Sauce Preparation

1 tsp oil for sauteeing

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 T water

salt to taste

Chicken Preparation

3 C peanut or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Marinade the chicken in the combined soy sauce, sherry, and egg whites for about 10-20 minutes at room temperature. 
2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. Saute the garlic in 1 tsp of oil in a saucepan for about a minute, add the above sauce, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir until the sauce thickens. Add the salt, remove from the heat, and cover to keep warm.
4. In a large bowl, toss the marinaded chicken in the 1 1/2 C cornstarch to coat. Separate the pieces of chicken and place them on a tray or baking sheet so they don't stick together. 
5. In a wok or large sauce pan, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and fry the chicken in batches, 8 to 10 pieces at a time, for about 4 minutes. Remove each batch with a spider strainer or slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. 
6. Place the chicken pieces in a large heat proof bowl. 
7. Reheat the sauce, pour it over the chicken pieces, and toss to coat. 
8. Serve with steamed rice.