A Kitchen in Queens

Recipes and Reviews from a little kitchen in a borough of nyc.
My dad asked me to show him how to use a rice cooker while he was here.  Assuming he didn’t want ONLY rice for dinner, I suggested that I make Mexican.  I’m pretty confident in my Mexican food making abilities, however, I am not so confident in my stir fry abilities…yet.   My dad said ok to the Mexican but later in the evening suggested that we have Chinese, so I switched up my game plan.   I headed over to Cook’s Illustrated’s website and revisited a recipe that I haven’t cooked for well over a year.  This dish is somewhat time consuming, but completely worth the effort.  And baking the chicken makes for a slightly healthier dish. Ingredients Marinade and Sauce 1 1/2pounds   boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces 3/4cup   low-sodium chicken broth   3/4cup   orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges 6tablespoons   distilled white vinegar   1/4cup soy sauce 1/2cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 3medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon) 1piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon) 1/4teaspoon cayenne pepper 1tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons 2tablespoons water (cold) 8 small whole dried red chiles (optional) Coating and Frying Medium 3 large egg whites 1/2cup cornstarch 1/2cup all-purpose flour 1/2cup peanut oil Instructions FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 but no more than 60 minutes. Bring remaining mixture to boil in saucepan over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside. FOR THE COATING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch and flour until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat, then strain again until egg mixture has drained away; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, then gently pat to allow excess cornstarch mixture to fall off, leaving a thin layer. Place dredged chicken pieces on plate. TO COOK THE CHICKEN: Heat rimmed baking sheet in oven for five minutes. Add oil and return baking sheet to oven until oil is just smoking, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, evenly spaced in single layer, and cook 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, turn chicken, and cook on second side until light brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to paper towel to drain excess oil. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately I went in for seconds rather than saving it for lunch.  I’m pretty sure this is a dish I’ll start adding to my usual repertoire!

My dad asked me to show him how to use a rice cooker while he was here.  Assuming he didn’t want ONLY rice for dinner, I suggested that I make Mexican.  I’m pretty confident in my Mexican food making abilities, however, I am not so confident in my stir fry abilities…yet.   My dad said ok to the Mexican but later in the evening suggested that we have Chinese, so I switched up my game plan.   I headed over to Cook’s Illustrated’s website and revisited a recipe that I haven’t cooked for well over a year. 

This dish is somewhat time consuming, but completely worth the effort.  And baking the chicken makes for a slightly healthier dish.

Ingredients

Marinade and Sauce

  • 1 1/2pounds   boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3/4cup   low-sodium chicken broth  
  • 3/4cup   orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
  • 6tablespoons   distilled white vinegar  
  • 1/4cup soy sauce
  • 1/2cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
  • 3medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
  • 1/4teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
  • 2tablespoons water (cold)
  • 8 small whole dried red chiles (optional)

Coating and Frying Medium

    Instructions

    1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 but no more than 60 minutes.

    2. Bring remaining mixture to boil in saucepan over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

    3. FOR THE COATING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch and flour until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat, then strain again until egg mixture has drained away; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, then gently pat to allow excess cornstarch mixture to fall off, leaving a thin layer. Place dredged chicken pieces on plate.

    4. TO COOK THE CHICKEN: Heat rimmed baking sheet in oven for five minutes. Add oil and return baking sheet to oven until oil is just smoking, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, evenly spaced in single layer, and cook 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, turn chicken, and cook on second side until light brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to paper towel to drain excess oil.

    5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately

    I went in for seconds rather than saving it for lunch.  I’m pretty sure this is a dish I’ll start adding to my usual repertoire!

    1. akitcheninqueens posted this
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