Sesame Chicken

We eat and love a wide variety of foods, and we love all kinds of ethnic foods too.  We had not had any Chinese food in a while, so I decided to make some sesame chicken.  The funny thing is that the day after I made it, we went out with my husband’s brother, ironically for Chinese food.  Needless to say, neither of us ordered the sesame chicken since we just had it, but mine looked just as good as the Chinese restaurant’s version.  I can’t help myself.  I am very competitive, in many areas, and I always like to see where I stand and how I compare to others.  Maybe that’s why I have always been good in sport too, but I digress.  That’s a totally different story.

I served my sesame chicken over white rice and with sauteed green beans with red peppers, mushrooms, garlic and onions, some fried potstickers and a glass or two of a crisp chardonnay with hints of apple and melon.  The fruity chardonnay complimented the spicy/sweet combination of the sesame chicken very well.

Sesame Chicken

2 TBSP flour

2 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 TBSP soy sauce (I used light soy sauce)

1 TBSP dry sherry

2 TBSP water

1 tsp canola or olive oil

dash of sesame oil (I used sesame chili oil)

1 lb chicken, cubed

cooking oil

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the soy sauce, sherry, water, oil, and sesame sauce.  Mix together well, then add the chicken cubes and let marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

 The Sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup sugar

2 TBSP white vinegar

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP sesame oil

1 TBSP chili paste

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 TBSP dried orange peel and/or orange spice (I used orange ginger spice)

3/4 cup water

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

green onions, sliced Asian style (optional for topping)

 

Mix the chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, garlic and orange spice together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Mix the cornstarch and the water together well, making sure all the cornstarch is dissolved and mix with the sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water as needed.

In a deep fryer, heat the oil  to 375* F, and add the chicken pieces, a few at a time.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is is golden brown and floats to the top.  Continue until all the chicken is cooked.  Your chicken should be light and crispy.

Once everything is cooked, serve the chicken over rice and top with the sauce and the toasted sesame seeds and green onion, if using.  this is better than Chinese take-out, and it is in the comfort of your own home.