PANDA EXPRESS ORANGE FLAVORED CHICKEN

By gaster16

Ingredients

• SAUCE:
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced water chestnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 rounded teaspoon chopped green onion
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot
• Chicken:
• 4 chicken breast fillets
• 1 cup ice water
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups unsifted cake flour

Preparation

Step 1

SAUCE:

Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch and arrowroot in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir often while bringing mixture to a boil. When sauce reaches a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit uncovered.

Chicken:

Slice chicken breasts into bite-size chunks. Remove exactly 1 cup of the marinade from pan and pour it over chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Marinate 2 hours. Cover remaining sauce and leave it to cool until chicken is ready. When chicken has marinated preheat 2” vegetable oil in a wok or skillet to 350 degrees. Combine cornstarch with arrowroot in small bowl then add 3 tablespoons water. Stir until cornstarch and arrowroot have dissolved. Pour mixture into sauce and set pan over high heat. When sauce begins to bubble and thickens cover and remove from heat. Beat together ice water and egg in a medium bowl. Add baking soda and salt. Add 3/4 cup flour and stir with fork until flour is blended into mixture. Batter should be lumpy. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup flour on top of batter and mix with only one or two strokes. Most of this flour will still float on top of the mixture. Put remaining flour (1/2 cup) into medium bowl. Dip each piece of chicken first into flour, then into batter. Let some of the batter drip off and then slide the chicken into oil. Fry up to 1/2 of the chicken pieces at a time for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the chicken over halfway through cooking time. Remove the chicken to a rack or paper towels to drain. As the chicken cooks, reheat the sauce left covered on the stove. Stir occasionally. When all chicken is done, pour it into large bowl, and cover with thickened sauce. Stir gently until all pieces are well coated.