Orange Chicken

Our youngest daughter, Olivia loves orange chicken from Panda Express. I'm sure if she had the choice, she'd eat it everyday. So I set out to find a recipe that could be made at home using simple ingredients and taste just like the restaurant version.

And when my son sent me this recipe from Joshua Weissman, I just had to make it! I didn't have chicken thighs readily available, so I decided to use chicken breast instead, which worked well, but I would definitely recommend using the chicken thighs for more juicy and tender chicken.

Start out by making the sauce first, which is very easy and can be made in less than 15 minutes. Then prep the chicken and dredge it in the egg and flour mixture to get a good coating all around; fry it in oil heated to 375 degrees F until golden brown and crispy, then toss in the sauce. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Olivia gave me two thumbs up on this one, so we'll definitely be making it again!

---

ORANGE CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup cornstarch

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• Salt and fresh pepper

• Vegetable oil, for frying

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup white vinegar

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• Zest and juice of 1 orange

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 4 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

• 1-2 red Fresno chilies, finely minced

1. Make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium high heat, add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, water and zest and juice of 1 orange. Bring to a slight simmer, then reduce heat to medium low for 8-10 minutes, cook until sauce reduces by 25%.

2. Add cornstarch to a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and mix to combine. Add cornstarch to the sauce and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until thickened.

3. Turn off heat; stir in garlic, ginger and Fresno chilies.

4. To make chicken: cut thighs into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5. Set up 2 bowls. In the first bowl, mix the 2 eggs using a fork. In the second bowl, combine cornstarch and flour.

6. Place each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and back to the flour mixture.

7. Add oil in a Dutch oven or skillet and heat to 375 degrees F. Add floured chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown. Pour sauce over chicken and toss until completely coated.