This here is a quick and tasty way to prepare chicken breasts. It’s sweet and tart with just the right amount of heat. And, I LUV the crunchy texture and taste of the sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Dee-lish!
Sesame Chicken
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
40 mins
INGREDIENTS
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
White rice (for serving)
Batter-marinade for chicken:
4 tablespoons flour (all-purpose)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I like low sodium)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Sauce for chicken:
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 cups chicken broth (I like low sodium)
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup water
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups peanut oil (for frying-should come halfway up sides of skillet)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinade Chicken
Wash and pat dry them boneless chicken breasts and throw them on a cutting board and cut them evenly, into 1 inch cubes.
Git yourself a large mixing bowl and add all the ingredients for the batter/marinade together: the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, soy sauce, kosher salt, sesame oil, water, and sherry.
Now whisk it all together until “used” (as Grandmama Watson used to say…meaning until it is well mixed and you can’t tell one ingredient from another).
Toss them chicken cubes you cut up into the batter/marinade and mix with a big spoon until all the chunks are well coated.
Place some plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and refrigerate for about 20 minutes while you make the sauce and toast the sesame seeds.
Toast Sesame Seeds
To toast the sesame seeds, just throw them into a heated non-stick fry pan. Toss ‘em around a minute and set aside for later.
The Sauce
In a saucepan, heat the sesame oil over a low heat.
Add the fresh ginger and fresh garlic and sauté for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes ‘til fragrant and add the chili paste and stir. In a mixing bowl, add all the rest of the ingredients: the chicken broth, cornstarch, water, sugar, sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
Your cornstarch will dissolve and begin to thicken.
Add this chicken broth-cornstarch mixture to the garlic and ginger in the saucepan, stirring constantly.
It will thicken pretty fast and become clear in about 2 minutes. Once this happens, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, while we fry up the chicken.
Frying the Chicken
Git your chicken out of the ice box.
In your cast iron skillet (or deep fryer) heat the peanut oil (which should be about halfway up the sides of the skillet).
Once the oil is bubbling (about 375°) then fry them chicken chunks a few at a time, turning them to cook evenly on all sides, until golden brown and crispy; about 5 minutes.
Let the chicken drain on some paper towel to remove excess oil.
Assemble
To assemble, git yourself a platter, spread the rice out over the platter.
Top the rice with the cooked chicken chunks.
Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Sprinkle the top with the toasted sesame seeds and serve it up immediately while hot. YUM!
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