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After working for years as a chef and recipe developer for Asian restaurants, I am proud to say that I have the simplest method to make the most soft and tender chicken, without any complicated steps. Customers often tell us, “This is the softest chicken I have ever had!” The secret is marinating the chicken in small, exact amounts of cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce, which break down the meat and create the juiciest bite. Marinate overnight or for two hours for best results, and for a minimum of 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
2 pounds chicken breast, cubed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon Glicks Soy Sauce
2 pieces of orange peel
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Glicks Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Gefen Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, crushed or 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for frying
1 cup ice water
toasted sesame seeds
thin orange slices
In a container, mix together the chicken, cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce. Place in the fridge to tenderize for at least 30 minutes, preferably two hours or overnight.
Prepare the orange sesame sauce: Cut two long slices of orange peel before juicing the oranges. In a large saucepan or wok, combine the peel, juice, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili flakes, paprika, and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and remove and discard the orange peel.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to the sauce and whisk well immediately. (The sauce will thicken slightly.) Set aside.
Right before cooking, prepare the batter: In a container or bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add two tablespoons canola oil and the ice water, along with the ice (this will help keep the batter cold while the chicken cooks).
Add the tenderized chicken to the batter and toss to coat completely.
Heat two inches of oil in a frying pan or wok. When hot, add battered chicken in a single layer and fry until golden on both sides. To prevent the pieces from sticking to each other, do not crowd the pan, and stir the chicken as it fries.
Remove to a wire rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain, and continue cooking the rest of the chicken in batches.
Reheat the sauce (if it has cooled down). Add all the fried chicken to the sauce and toss to coat well.
Serve hot with jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds and orange slices.
Photography by Shoshi Sirkis
Food Styling by Anat Lobel
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