Subj : T.O.H. Daily Recipe - 693
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Wed Jan 22 2025 03:56 pm

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 mins.

 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 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!

 Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin

 Makes: 6 servings

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

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

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