Honey Sesame Chicken

Posted by DiningDetour on Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Before the holiday baking begins, let’s talk Chinese food–more specifically sesame chicken. Although I’ve embarked fearlessly on Asian cuisine in past recipes; ginger fried rice, sesame-crusted salmon, and Asian chicken salad, I’ve always been intimidated when it comes to frying. Not just because of the fat factor – I am also terrified of burning myself with hot oil. At least I can control the amount of oil being used and what’s going into the batter, which is clearly better for than take out. Results…This came out REALLY good! I would be interested next time to try baking a few pieces of chicken to see how the marinate/batter holds up in the oven.

Recipe: Adapted from Tyler Florence

Honey Sesame Chicken

Rating: 51

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
Peanut oil, for frying
Salt
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions, for garnish
4 tablespoons Honey Orange Glaze - I was able to find a great bottle in the supermarket, refer to the original recipe if you choose to make your own glaze

For the marinade:

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Add the marinade ingredients to mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and add to marinate. Refrigerate for at least a half hour.

In a heavy-bottomed pot heat enough oil to come 1/4 of the way up the sides of the pot. Test to see if oil is hot enough by adding a drop of water to see if it sizzles.

Fry the chicken, in small batches, about 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with a little salt, to taste. To serve, arrange the fried chicken on a platter and drizzle the sauce on top. Sprinkle with a generous amount of toasted sesame seeds and garnish with scallions.