CHINESE - SESAME CHICKEN

Chinese - Sesame Chicken image

Sesame chicken is my favorite Chinese poultry dish. I love the sweet, salty and spicy flavor and texture of the tender chicken with its nice crust and the crunch from the sesame seeds and the sweet sauce. This recipe is courtesy of http://feastasia.casaveneracion.com/chinese-sesame-chicken/ Posted for play in Culinary Quest.

Provided by Baby Kato @BabyKato

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 27

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Ingredients

- for the dish:
8 - chicken thigh fillets (skin on or off, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long)
2 cup(s) vegetable cooking oil
- for the marinade:
1 tablespoon(s) soy sauce
1 tablespoon(s) salt
1 tablespoon(s) oyster sauce
1 teaspoon(s) grated garlic
1/2 teaspoon(s) grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon(s) black pepper
1 teaspoon(s) sesame seed oil
- for the batter:
3/4 - tapioca or corn starch
1 - egg white, beaten
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
- for the sauce:
1/4 cup(s) honey
1/8 cup(s) rice wine
2 teaspoon(s) soy sauce
2 tablespoon(s) oyster sauce
1 - bird's eye chili, finely chopped (or use chili sauce or flakes)
1/2 teaspoon(s) grated garlic
1/2 tablespoon(s) grated ginger
- drizzle of sesame seed oil
2 tablespoon(s) toasted sesame seeds
- finally sliced green onions, garnish, optional

Steps:

Wipe the chicken strips dry with paper towels
Place the chicken strips in a bowl.
Add all the marinating ingredients, mix, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
For the Sauce:
Put all the sauce ingredients, except the sesame seed oil, in a small sauce pan.
Boil, lower the heat to medium and cook gently until thickened, about five minutes.
Taste, adjust the seasonings, if needed.
Drizzle in the sesame seed oil and stir and set aside.
Make the batter by mixing together all the batter ingredients.
Pour in enough water, tablespoonful by tablespoonful, so that the batter takes on the consistency of pancake batter.
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan.
To test if the oil is hot enough, pour in half a teaspoonful of the batter into the oil. If the batter does not float within ten seconds, the oil isn't hot enough. If the batter burns within a few seconds, the oil is too hot.
Dip each chicken strip in the batter and fry. Do this in batches, seven to twelve pieces per batch depending on the diameter of your pan, so that they don't bump into each other and to make sure that the temperature of the oil does not drop too much.
The chicken strips should cook in about three to four minutes, at which time, the batter should be lightly browned.
For even browning, turn the chicken pieces over after the first two minutes.
Scoop out the chicken strips as they cook and drain on a stack of paper towels.
Fry the next batch,until all the chicken strips are done.
Pour off the cooking oil from the wok or frying pan.
Wipe the pan with kitchen paper if brown bits are stuck at the bottom.
Pour the sauce into the pan and reheat gently.
Turn off the heat.
Dump the chicken strips into the sauce, followed by the sesame seeds, and toss quickly to coat each piece with sauce and sesame seeds.
To serve place on a platter and sprinkle with scallions.