Orange Peel Chicken

This recipe is righy up my alley. It's saucy, chicken-y, slightly sweet, slightly spicy AND reminiscent of my favorite dish at the wonderous asian bistro restaurant that is PF Chang's. (Sadly, I have to get on an airplane ride if I want to eat there, so this is a good at-home alternative) To top it all off, it's not full of fussy ingredients. I imagine most everyone will have almost every ingredient in their pantry already. The chili garlic sauce is the only out of the ordinary item and it is absolutely necessary. I found mine in the specialty asian section of my grocery store. Now if I could just master dan-dan noodles I'd be a happy gal!

Orange Peel Chicken

{Slightly adapted recipe from my friend Christie. If you like things fairly saucy, I'd 1 1/2 this recipe if not double it}

Sauce:

1 T vegetable oil

2 T minced garlic

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 T chili garlic sauce

1 T soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2-3 large chicken breasts (I used 2 and wanted there to be a little more sauce)

Garlic salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1+ cup flour

peel from 1/4 navel orange, julienned with all white part removed (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with garlic salt. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the egg/milk mixture and into the flour mixture. (FYI: I actually coated them in flour first, then egg/milk, then back into flour) Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the large skillet or wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple of minutes or until brown on one side, then flip chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. (I put mine in a glass baking dish and into the oven at 400 for few minutes longer just be sure they were done.) When all of the chicken is cooked wipe the remaining oil out of the pan with paper towels and place it back on the stove to heat up again.

When pan is hot again add julienned orange peel and cooked chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so. Add sauce to the pan and cook, stirring gently, until the chicken is well coated and sauce is thick. Serve over white or brown rice.