Sesame Chicken

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I will admit, I'm not a big fan of Chinese food but I do love Sesame Chicken.  We went out to dinner earlier in the week and I ordered Sesame Chicken, which I haven't had in the longest time. It inspired me to try to figure out how to make my own. I wasn't too confident as the last time I made Chinese, my Lo Mein went straight from my wok to my garbage. It wasn't so last night. It was delicious!  My husband felt that the sauce could have more sugar but I thought it was just fine.  So, in making, when you taste the sauce, you can add more to it to taste.

Sesame Chicken

Marinade
2 tablespoons flour 
2  tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 dash sesame oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
Oil for frying

Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 - 1 cup white sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
2 tablespoons white vinegar 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2  teaspoon chile paste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Garnish
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons green onion

Mix flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl.  Add soy sauce, sherry, water, oil and sesame oil to mixture. Whisk until smooth.  Add chicken and stir until chicken is coated in batter.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While chicken is marinating, in a small saucepan, add chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste and garlic powder. Whisk and bring to a boil.  In a measuring cup, add cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water; dissolve and add to boiling sauce. Simmer and whisk sauce until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Turn heat to low and keep sauce warm.

In wok, heat oil on medium high heat.  Add chicken in small batches and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes).  Drain on wok rack and start next batch.  After chicken has drained, put on a plate lined with paper towel and slightly tent plate with foil to keep chicken warm. Once all chicken has been cooked, transfer to serving dish and pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve with your favorite rice.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Touchdown Chicken

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