There are days, that I just want to remember flavors from my childhood. And, I so want my kids to experience the variety of flavors out there in the world, even with them having food allergies and sensitivities.
So, with that in mind, I decided to one day get in the kitchen and cook something familiar to my taste buds : Sesame, Orange and Chicken!
Who can go wrong with these three? Actually, I was just really hoping that I can whip up something edible for lunch.
Surprise, surprise! The tangy, salty, sweet flavor of the orange sauce complimented the slightly nutty taste of toasted sesame seeds and oil, which in turn gave the “battered” chicken the boost it needed in the flavor department.
Yes, it turned out decidedly good. The fact that it is gluten free and egg free / eggless, made it rather special for my kiddos.
If you want a bit of Asian flair to your next dish, you have to try this one :
GLUTEN FREE / EGG FREE ORANGE SESAME CHICKEN
What we will need to have:
For the Breaded Chicken:
2.5 lbs. approx. (1 kilo) boneless and skinless chicken cut into bite sized pieces
1 recipe egg substitute (1 Tbsp. of tapioca starch + 1 Tbsp. veg. oil stirred into 1/4 cup warm water) or 1 egg, beaten (if not allergic)
1 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Gluten Free flour (or 3 Tbsp. fine white rice flour + 1 tbsp. cassava/tapioca starch)
oil for frying
For the Stir Fry:
1 Tbsp. veg. oil
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic (1 big clove)
1/2 tsp. – 1 tsp. hot, red pepper flakes (depending on how warm/spicy you want it)
1/4 cup green onions
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. good sesame oil
For the Orange Sauce:
(In a bowl whisk and mix all of the following and then set aside)
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (make sure its gluten free/no-wheat)
1 1/2 Tbsp. water
5 Tbsp. white/granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (probably could use white coconut vinegar)
1 (scant) tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice (juice of about 3-4 small, sweet oranges)
Additional flavorings:
zest of 1 orange (it’ll amount to about a teaspoon) – fresh is always best
1-2 Tbsp. of toasted sesame seeds
What we’ll need to do (Directions/ Method to the madness :))
- Coat the chicken with the beaten egg (if not allergic) or egg substitute mixture. Set Aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the white pepper, sea salt, baking powder, cornstarch and gluten free flour. This is your “flour mixture” .
- Put chicken into your flour mixture and completely coat.
- In a wok or deep enough skillet, heat enough oil and fry chicken pieces in batches. Do not overcook chicken, or they will be dry.
- Drain cooked chicken pieces on plate lined with paper towels or brown paper. When all chicken pieces are done, it’s time for your stir fry and sauce.
- Clean your wok or skillet and heat 1-2 Tbsp. veg. oil
- Saute ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and green onions for about 30-45 seconds (just to release aroma/flavor).
- Add vinegar, water and sesame oil. Bring to a slow boil before adding the orange sauce mixture. Keep stirring/ whisking (to avoid lumps) while you bring it back up to a boil to thicken up the sauce.
- When sauce is thickened, turn heat on low, then add chicken and heat through.
- Finish off with the zest of orange and sesame seeds.
- Serve hot or warm over Jasmine rice or simple fried rice.
Notes:
– A good side dish would be lightly steamed broccoli, sauteed green beans (with slivers of toasted almonds, if not allergic to nuts) and/or, glazed carrots.
– Whenever I am not pressed for time, I usually parboil the chicken pieces for about a minute before coating them in the flour mixture. You see, parboiling / parcooking the chicken pieces, I have long found out, help retain moistness of the resulting battered and fried chicken. I have observed my mom do this step many times, as I was growing up and helping out in the kitchen.