APPLEBEE'S CRISPY ORANGE SKILLET

By Vanetta

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless chicken pieces, skinned
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil (for frying)

Preparation

Step 1

Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside. Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken pieces to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well. Pour enough oil to be 1/2-inch deep in a wok or heavy skillet and heat over high heat to 375 F (hot). Carefully add chicken pieces in small batches and fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning until golden and crisp. (Do not over cook or chicken will be tough.) Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying the chicken in small batches until all pieces are nicely browned and crisp. Set aside.

SWEET 'N' SPICY ORANGE GLAZE
Oil from skillet (see above recipe)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind (no white part or "pith")
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce (see Cook's note)
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup white sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Slivered almonds, for garnish
Crispy noodles

An assortment of vegetables such as broccoli, snow peas and red peppers (optional, see Cook's note)

Cook's note: Hoisin sauce is available in a can or jar in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets, close to the soy sauce. Also called Peking sauce, this thick, reddish-brown sauce is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chili peppers and various spices. Hoisin sauce is mainly used as a table condiment and as a flavoring agent for many meat, poultry and shellfish dishes. Once opened, refrigerate bottled hoisin and it will keep for a long time.

Stir-fried vegetables can be added to this dish to add color and texture. Estimate on using about 1 cup per person.

Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Saute garlic in oil for 1 minute (if the oil is too hot, the garlic will turn bitter). Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.

Pour glaze over chicken. Place chicken on a bed of cooked white rice. Garnish with slivered almonds, crispy noodles and stir-fried vegetables such as broccoli, snow peas and red peppers (optional). Serves 4 to 6.