Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

Breading: 1 pound chicken breasts - cubed 

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon pineapple juice

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 dash sesame oil

Sauce:  1 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon chili paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 quart vegetable oil - for frying

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

 Mix flour, 2 TBS cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

Add soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, vegetable oil, and sesame oil.

Stir until smooth.

Add chicken and cover completely with mixture.

Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and garlic to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.

Dissolve 1/4 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup water, then stir into boiling sauce.

Simmer until sauce thickens and turns clear (about 2 minutes)

Reduce heat to low and keep sauce warm.

Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan.

Drop in pieces of battered chicken a few at a time.

Fry chicken until they turn golden brown.

Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Serve with hot sauce and sesame seeds over the top with rice.

Verdict:

Very delicious!!! But a lot of work.. Worth it in my opinion though! It was hard to find the perfect temperature for the oil. First we had it too hot and the batter was fried, but the chicken wasn't cooked at all! So be sure to check that the chicken is cooked through.. Also I didnt read the recipe well and thought I coud just add the cornstarch and water to the sauce without mixing them first.. BIG no no. It got super clumpy and I had to start all over. The chili paste is in the aisle that has the Thai food. Also get the sesame oil from that aisle, it's in a smaller bottle and cheaper than the big bottle you'll find on the aisle with all the different oils. The recipe really calls for sherry not pineapple juice, but I doubt I'll ever cook with sherry again so I went the more convenient way and substituted for pineapple juice, it tasted great! And I accidentally added 2 tablespoons instead of just one, didnt' seem to ruin it though! 

Rating:

Ashley: 8.7 belches       Scott: 8.7 grunts       Payton: 10 wags