Orange Chicken

I don't know why, but have so much trouble when it comes to making Asian-inspired dishes at home. Maybe we are scarred by places like PF Changs and Sarku Japan, but the things we make at home never taste as good. This recipe, however, proved why we keep trying to make these kinds of dishes at home. This is the perfect copycat recipe and worth all the work that goes into making this dish.


Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat
Source: Food.com

Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil ( for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced or 1 tsp. of powdered ginger
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili peppers
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (I omitted)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
Orange sauce, recipe below

Place chicken pieces on plate or in large bowl.

In a small bowl: Stir together the egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.

Stir cornstarch and flour together in another bowl.

Coat each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then roll generously in the cornstarch/flour mixture. Set each prepared piece of chicken on a plate, and heat oil to fry.

Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. Do not overcook chicken. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.

Stir cold water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to sauce in the wok. Stir well. Heat until sauce is thickned.

Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired. Add crispy chicken to the sauce and stir quickly to coat. Don’t let it sit too long, or it will lose it’s crispiness.

Serve over white or brown rice.

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry (I doubled this sauce recipe)
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons water
5 Tablespoons sugar (I used half white sugar and half Brown sugar)
1/4 cup Orange juice
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 heaping Tablespoon of Cornstarch
1/4 cup Cold water

Combine all ingredients except for the Cornstarch and the water. Mix well. Set aside, and follow directions below for adding the cornstarch/water to thicken the sauce.