By Request

BETTY SHIMABUKURO

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Orange Chicken mimics
popular restaurant dish

At the top of the list of recipe requests that come this way is Orange Chicken, that deep-fried, sweet-sour creation made palatable and popular by Panda Express.

So many people have asked for it that I don't even keep track anymore. Learning of this oddball statistical fact, Robin Miyashiro forwarded a recipe that he found on the Internet, a recipe purporting to be a copycat of the Panda chicken dish.

With that as a starting point, I found many sites offering this recipe -- two basic versions seem to be floating around out there and it's impossible to tell where they originated. This is an adaptation of the one that looked most promising, with adjustments made to simplify it for home cooking and to boost the flavor.

Is it good? Yes. Is it the same? Not exactly, but it's a reasonable facsimile. If you're dying for the real thing, I suggest going out and buying the real thing. It's cheap enough, especially when you factor in all the stuff you have to get to make it yourself, plus the psychological cost of all that deep-frying.

Orange Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces
2 to 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
>> Marinade/sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Thai sweet chili sauce (see note)
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
>> Batter:
1 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
3/4 cup flour

Combine marinade ingredients, except cornstarch, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour 1/2 cup over chicken and marinate, refrigerated, at least two hours. Reserve remaining marinade.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet to 350 degrees. Oil should be about 2 inches deep.

To make batter: Beat together ice water and egg. Add baking soda and salt. Add 1/2 cup flour and stir until just blended. Batter should be lumpy.

Put remaining 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Dip each piece of chicken first into the flour, then into the batter, shaking off excess.

Fry chicken in oil, a few pieces at a time, 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To finish sauce: Strain reserved marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in water to make a slurry. Reduce heat, pour slurry into sauce and stir. Sauce will thicken quickly. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to coat. Serves 4.

Note: Thai sweet chili sauce is sold in bottles in Asian markets such as Daiei. It's obviously not a Chinese ingredient, but it is a shortcut to providing the mild chili flavor of this dish.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (without added pinch salt): 450 calories, 16 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 170 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 38 g protein.*

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.