Orange Chicken

Ingredients

  • Sauce:
  • Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
  • 4 whole egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • dash of salt
  • dash of crushed red pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 4 teaspoons ginger, minced
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • zest of 2 oranges
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 whole green onions, sliced

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bow, whisk together the cornstarch and egg whites with a fork until almost frothy, about 1 minutes. Add the chicken to the mixture and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the orange juice, soy, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and orange zest in a small nonstick skillet and whisk together. Heat until bubbling and staring to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add slowly to the sauce. Mix in and thicken for 1 minutes. If sauce gets overly thick, just add in another 1/4 cup water and whisk in.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350.

In batches, carefully drop a few pieces of chicken into the oil, dropping them one by one to keep them from sticking together. Move them around and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until light golden. Let the pieces drain on a plate lined with paper towels for 2 to 3 minutes. Then drop them back into the oil for 1 minute to really solidify the coating.

Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve immediately with orange zest and slice green onions on top.