Orange Chicken.

After a few failed attempts at making good Chinese food from home, we had almost completely given up hope that it was possible. When we've attempted in the past we tried to get past the 'completely breaded and deep fried meat' idea. And that my friends is where our problem was. Chinese food in its greatest form is meant to be deep friend and then smothered in a tasty sauce. Or at least American Chinese food.

And so that is where we decided to change our ideas, and even if our recipe wouldn't be the healthiest Chinese food in the world (what Chinese food really is healthy anyway) it would at least be delicious. And this recipe is where we found our success.

Its not like we'll be making this recipe once a week or anything, but any time I want American Chinese food, my taste buds and my stomach would be equal (or more) happy with this orange chicken than if we ordered in from a restaurant.

Slightly adapted from these two recipes : Blogchef and the Noshery

2 large chicken breasts
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp salt

2 cups panko

1 cup water

2 tbs orange juice concentrate

2 ½ tbs soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

Zest from ½ orange

½ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

½ tsp garlic

2 ½ tbs cornstarch

¼ cup water

1. Preheat your deep fryer or a pan filled with oil to 350-375 degrees.
2. Cut chicken into inch sized pieces.
3. Make 3 separate bowls. One with your eggs and water, whipped. Second with flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper, combined. And third with panko crumbs.
4. Dip pieces of chicken first in eggs, then in flour mixture, then in eggs again, then in panko. Set aside.

5. Meanwhile combine water, orange juice concentrate, soy sauce and vinegar in a sauce pan. Heat over medium for a few minutes.

6. Add brown sugar, orange zest, ground ginger, garlic and red pepper. Bring to a boil.
7. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to boiling sauce mixture.
8. Keep the sauce over medium heat and stir occasionally until it thickens.
9. When the oil is heated add a few pieces of chicken to the oil. (We cooked the chicken in 3 batches)
10. Cook chicken pieces for 3 to 4 minutes until the color is golden brown.

11. As you remove the chicken from the oil place it on a paper towel lined plate.
12.  Pour the sauce over your chicken.
13. Enjoy on top of some delicious white rice.

Please please please let me know if you have any questions regarding this recipe, or if you had any problems while making it. I want this recipe to be as great of a success for you, as it was for me.

Before this recipe I had almost given up completely on making Chinese food from home. This recipe renewed my faith. I hope it can do the same for you.

What is a food that you are afraid of making?

Chinese food was definitely one of these foods for me. Now that I've made this delicious recipe, however, I feel like I can conquer anything.