sweet and sour chicken stir-fry

[eve11]

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-fry

Note: all sauce portions are approximate! I pretty much mixed things together until they tasted good, then thickened the sauce with tapioca starch after everything had simmered in the pan.

Meat:
3 chicken breast halves, sliced into strips

Veggies:
1.5 celery stalks sliced thinly, crosswise on an angle
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 of a large sweet onion, cut in chunks
8 (or so) baby carrots, cut into strips
1/2 of a green bell pepper, cut in strips
approx. 2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks, in small bite-sized pieces
approx 2 cups of broccoli florets

Sauce:
1/3 cup (?) Thai sweet red chili sauce (I used "aroma chef" brand)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
approx 1 tbsp (?) of powder from one of those Sun-Bird Stir-fry powder packets
approx 1/4 c (?) orange juice
2 tsp tapioca starch to thicken

Method:
Mix sauce ingredients together until uniform. Heat a bit of oil in a wok or skillet on high. Cook the chicken strips until no longer pink. Add in the veggies (and pineapple) and continue cooking on high for about 4 to 5 minutes, using the pan or wok lid to steam them a bit. The pineapples will leave a lot of juice in the pan. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and cook another minute until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Comments

[hollywoodgrrl.livejournal.com]

Woot! Sounds like a fantastic recipe. And I love how it's all based on cutting things into strips. :D

[ansel1.livejournal.com]

I have a great recipe from Cooks Illustrated for "Orange Chicken". It's basically a clone of General Tso's, and it's great, if you aren't afraid of a little deep frying.

Orange-Flavored Chicken
from the Episode: Asian Chicken Classics
from the Companion Book: Cooking at Home

We prefer the flavor and texture of thigh meat for this recipe, though an equal amount of boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used. It is easiest to grate the orange zest and remove the strips of orange peel before juicing the oranges; use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the strips. For extra spiciness, increase the cayenne added to the sauce to 1/2 teaspoon. The whole dried chiles are added for appearance, not for flavor, and can be omitted. To fry the chicken, use a Dutch oven or a straight-sided sauté pan (with at least 3-quart capacity); do not use a 12-inch skillet with sloped sides, as it will be too small to contain the oil once the chicken is added. White rice and steamed broccoli are good accompaniments.

Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons water (cold)
8 small whole dried red chiles (optional)

Coating and Frying Medium
3 large egg whites
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups peanut oil


See Illustrations Below: Secrets to Great Orange Chicken

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately.

[eve11]

ooh, thanks for this! I will definitely try it out some time-- on a good cooking weekend :)

[eve11]

It was pretty good! The Thai sweet red chili sauce is awesome. And eee! I love your icon! :)