Chicken with Orange Sauce

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(about 3 servings)

I didn't have any Chinese chili sauce when I made this, but I did have a tube of harissa which I used in it's place. The result was an unexpected kick in the heat department (I added almost 2 tsp at once) but quite bearable for me. I'm pretty much a wimp when it comes to very hot dishes and in this case the heat was quite pronounced (more so then when I've used chili sauce) yet I could still make out the other flavours. If you decide to give harissa a try, then add it in small amounts, tasting as you go, until you find a balance which agrees with you.

I have never prepared this dish with anything other than chicken thighs. They turn out incredibly tender. I keep meaning to give chicken breasts a try, I imagine they might turn out tender as well.

marinade
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp pureed fresh ginger
1 tbsp rice wine
1 egg white
1 tbsp cornstarch

6 skinned and boneless chicken thighs, about 1 1/4 lb


orange sauce
zest from 1 orange, finely minced
juice from 1 orange
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp oyster sauce
up to 2 tsp (or more) harissa, or chili sauce to taste
2/3 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch


oil for frying

garnish
2 green onions, sliced
1 orange for garnish (optional)

Combine the marinade ingredients with a fork in a bowl until everything is well combined.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and toss them into the marinade. Set aside up to an hour or two. You can leave it for only 15-20 minutes if you prefer.. I like the way the garlic becomes more intense with the additional marinating time.

Combine all of the orange sauce ingredients except the cornstarch. Make any adjustments to saltiness and/or heat by taste, then add the cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat about an inch of oil in a wok to about 375°F. Fry the chicken pieces in small batches until they are an even brown and place onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Pour off the oil and turn down the heat a touch. Return the chicken to the wok and add the orange sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Place the chicken on a serving dish. Sprinkle with the green onion and garnish with orange slices if using. This dish goes really well with rice.