Subj : Fats Food Copycats - 04
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Tue Jun 11 2024 07:13 am

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Panda Express Orange Chicken
Categories: Poultry, Sauces, Citrus, Herbs, Chilies
     Yield: 6 servings

 1 1/2 lb Boned, skinned chicken
          - thighs
   1/2 tb Salt
   1/2 ts Pepper
   1/2 c  Cornstarch
 1 1/2 c  A-P flour
     1    Egg
 1 1/4 c  Sparkling water; cold
     1 tb Sesame oil
          Oil; for frying

MMMMM---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
     1 tb Oil
   1/2 ts Crushed red pepper flakes
     1 tb Garlic; minced
 1 1/2 ts Ginger; minced
     2 tb Sugar
     2 tb Light brown sugar
     2 tb Orange juice
     1 ts Orange zest
     2 tb Rice vinegar
     1 tb Soy sauce
     1 tb Water
     1 tb Cornstarch

 Start by cutting the chicken into small, bite-size pieces - about 1"
 to 1 1/2" on - a cutting board (here's why you should have a separate
 cutting board for chicken). Set aside.

 Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Then, beat in
 the egg, sparkling water and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil until smooth.
 The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter.

 Toss the chicken pieces in the batter until each piece is evenly
 coated. Cover, transfer to the refrigerator and let the chicken soak
 in the batter for at least 30 minutes.

 Editor's Tip: Resting the chicken in the batter is important because
 it allows the flour to properly hydrate, which helps the batter
 adhere better to the chicken and become perfectly crispy.

 Next, heat the oil to 350oF/175oC in a large wok or Dutch oven -
 between 1/2" and 1" of oil will be enough. Working in batches, add a
 few pieces of the battered chicken to the preheated oil. Cook,
 turning occasionally until the chicken is deeply golden on all sides
 and cooked through. Each batch should take about 5-6 minutes.
 Transfer the fried chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to
 drain excess oil.

 As your last batch of chicken cooks, start the sauce by warming 1
 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper
 flakes, garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds.

 Editor's Tip: Don't walk away during this step. If you accidentally
 burn your garlic (not at all the same as roasted garlic), toss
 everything and start fresh. Otherwise, your sauce will have a bitter
 flavor.

 Add the sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
 Stir until the sugars dissolve, and the mixture begins to bubble.

 Finish the sauce by whisking together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (or
 try one of these other sauce thickeners) with 1 tablespoon of water
 in a small bowl. Add it to the wok and whisk until smooth. Cook the
 sauce until it thickens and clings to the back of a spoon.

 Editor's Tip: Ideally, you're looking for a consistency like honey.
 If you accidentally thicken the sauce too much, you can thin it back
 out with a bit of orange juice, water or chicken stock.

 Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and gently toss until every
 inch of the chicken is coated in the sweet and spicy orange sauce.
 Serve immediately to share this Panda Express goodness with your
 family!

 Taste of Home Test Kitchen

 Makes: 6 servings

 RECIPE FROM: https://www.tasteofhome.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM

... "How you do anything isn't how you do everything." -- T. Harv Eker
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