Orange Chicken

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    This recipe for orange chicken really spoke to me.  It had crispy, browned chicken pieces in a sweet citrus sauce over top of rice.  It sounded delicious.  I already had eggrolls in the freeze so I was ready to roll.  When I made the marinade it tasted ok but I wasn’t too impressed with it.  I was a little worried but continued on with the recipe.  The chicken looked great after it was cooked.  Once the orange sauce was cooked it thickened up and had a fantastic citrus and Asian flavor to it.  The dish didn’t taste like the orange chicken I would get at a Chinese restaurant, but it was still really good.  We’ll be having this one again!

Orange Chicken (adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, as seen on A Taste of Home Cooking )
For the marinade and sauce:
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 c. orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. fresh ginger
1 t. red pepper
1 t. black pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

For the Coating:
2 egg whites
1 c. cornstarch
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. red pepper
1 t. salt
1/4 c. olive oil

2.  After marinating the chicken, put the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.  In a small bowl beat the egg whites until they are frothy.  In a second shallow bowl combine the cornstarch, baking soda, red pepper, and salt. 

5.  Heat 3 T. olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add the chicken coated in the cornstarch.  Immediately coat the remaining chicken with cornstarch and add to pan.  Pan fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Add remaining oil after turning chicken the first time. 

6.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Remove oil from pan and return the chicken, covering with the orange sauce.  Serve over rice.