Well, skinn ( i-e-r ) ….
One of my favorite dishes is orange chicken! Mmmm, crispy bits of deep fried nuggets tossed in sugary orange glaze.
Yikes! I did make a New Year commitment of cutting back on fried foods and recipes that include refined sugar. So- what’s a chef to do?
Answer: Reworked the formula. Now, I can still have my orange chicken, and eat it too! And now- you can too!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs, or Gluten free option ( optional)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice and zest of 2 oranges
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2-4 dried chili peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
Black or white Sesame seeds, for garnish
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 400′ F Degrees.
Line a high sided baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking sheet .
Set up a dredging station with three medium sized bowls. One bowl filled with the flour and seasoned with salt and pepper, another one with the eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper, and one with panko. Next to the last bowl place the prepared sheet.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Begin dredging the chicken by first pressing it in the flour. Lift to shake off any excess.
Next, coat in the in beaten eggs and finally, into the in panko- covering thoroughly.
Last, arrange the coated chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until no longer pink, 18 to 20 minutes.
While the chicken is baking . Prepare the glaze.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Whisk until combined. Add chili and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Once the chicken is baked and crispy- transfer into to a large bowl and drizzle in the orange sauce. Toss well to coat.
Serve over cooked rice garnished with orange zest, sesame seeds, and chopped scallions.
Chef Gigi Gaggero 