MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Panda Express Orange Chicken
Categories: Poultry, Sauces, Citrus, Herbs, Chilies
Yield: 6 servings

1 1/2 lb Boned, skinned chicken
- thighs
1/2 tb Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 c Cornstarch
1 1/2 c A-P flour
1 Egg
1 1/4 c Sparkling water; cold
1 tb Sesame oil
Oil; for frying

MMMMM---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
1 tb Oil
1/2 ts Crushed red pepper flakes
1 tb Garlic; minced
1 1/2 ts Ginger; minced
2 tb Sugar
2 tb Light brown sugar
2 tb Orange juice
1 ts Orange zest
2 tb Rice vinegar
1 tb Soy sauce
1 tb Water
1 tb Cornstarch

Start by cutting the chicken into small, bite-size pieces - about 1"
to 1 1/2" on - a cutting board (here's why you should have a separate
cutting board for chicken). Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Then, beat in
the egg, sparkling water and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil until smooth.
The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter.

Toss the chicken pieces in the batter until each piece is evenly
coated. Cover, transfer to the refrigerator and let the chicken soak
in the batter for at least 30 minutes.

Editor's Tip: Resting the chicken in the batter is important because
it allows the flour to properly hydrate, which helps the batter
adhere better to the chicken and become perfectly crispy.

Next, heat the oil to 350oF/175oC in a large wok or Dutch oven -
between 1/2" and 1" of oil will be enough. Working in batches, add a
few pieces of the battered chicken to the preheated oil. Cook,
turning occasionally until the chicken is deeply golden on all sides
and cooked through. Each batch should take about 5-6 minutes.
Transfer the fried chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to
drain excess oil.

As your last batch of chicken cooks, start the sauce by warming 1
tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper
flakes, garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds.

Editor's Tip: Don't walk away during this step. If you accidentally
burn your garlic (not at all the same as roasted garlic), toss
everything and start fresh. Otherwise, your sauce will have a bitter
flavor.

Add the sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
Stir until the sugars dissolve, and the mixture begins to bubble.

Finish the sauce by whisking together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (or
try one of these other sauce thickeners) with 1 tablespoon of water
in a small bowl. Add it to the wok and whisk until smooth. Cook the
sauce until it thickens and clings to the back of a spoon.

Editor's Tip: Ideally, you're looking for a consistency like honey.
If you accidentally thicken the sauce too much, you can thin it back
out with a bit of orange juice, water or chicken stock.

Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and gently toss until every
inch of the chicken is coated in the sweet and spicy orange sauce.
Serve immediately to share this Panda Express goodness with your
family!

Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Makes: 6 servings

RECIPE FROM: https://www.tasteofhome.com

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