Orange Chicken

• hidangan: 4 servings
• jumlah masa: 1 hour 20 minutes

Bahan-bahan

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 medium), cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup (120 grams) orange juice

1/4 cup (70 grams) apricot jam

1/4 cup (70 grams) sweet chile sauce, preferably Mae Ploy

1/4 cup (60 grams) unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 to 3 quarts neutral oil

One 10-ounce/283-gram package tempura flour

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

Cooked white rice, for serving

Arahan

For the chicken: Combine the chicken and salt in a bowl and massage the salt into the chicken. Cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the orange juice, apricot jam, chile sauce, rice vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to make a slurry. Add the slurry back to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened and syrupy; this should only take about 30 seconds of boiling. Remove from the heat and reserve in the pan.

To finish: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to 375 degrees F.

To make the batter: Add 3 tablespoons tempura flour to a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. In a separate large bowl, add the remaining tempura flour and whisk in 1 1/4 cups very cold water. (The batter should still have a few lumps.) Add the dredged chicken to the batter mixture and toss to coat.

When the oil reaches 375 degrees, fry the chicken pieces in batches, turning frequently, until the chicken is golden brown, 3 minutes total. Remove to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain of excess oil. Allow the oil to return to temperature before adding another batch.

When ready to serve, warm the sauce in the pan, then toss in the fried chicken pieces. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the scallions. Serve with rice.