Sesame Chicken
Sesame Chicken
Like several other things in history, America has gone and ruined a perfectly good thing. Not saying Americans STOLE the idea per se. It was more of a joint venture of Chinese/American chefs who took a wonderful dish like Hunan Chicken, breaded and fried it, and added a bunch of sugar to satisfy our shitty simplistic palettes. Glowing set up I know – but, your kids are going to love it and its comfort food.
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 1.5 lb Boneless Skinless (chopped into 1" cubes) (breasts or thighs work)
- 2 Eggs (beaten)
- .5 cup All Purpose Flour
- .5 cup Cornstarch
- Canola Oil
- Salt & Pepper
The Sauce
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic (use 7 tsp, nobody cares. Be happy!)
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 3 tbsp Packed Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds (toasted preferred, not required)
Garnish
- White Sesame Seeds
- Chopped Scallions
Instructions
- Start heating 3" of canola oil in the frying cauldron of your choosing to 350 degrees F. Trim and cut chicken into small portions. 1" cubes is a good aim for frying time.
- Beat the eggs. Separately whisk together the flour and cornstarch, and season with some salt and pepper. Dredge in drys, wets, back in drys. (Or combine the wets and drys for an easier batter) Fry chicken in small batches for around 5 minutes until crispy.
- While the chicken is frying, heat a medium sauce pan on medium, and add garlic until fragrant. Increase to medium/high heat and whisk in the honey, soy, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and whisk to thicken, avoiding clumping. Remove from heat, and stir in seeds. (More or less to your speckle preference)
- Toss chicken in sauce to coat and serve over rice and for heck's sake throw in a vegetable, like broccoli or something. Garnish with more seeds and scallions.
Notes
Even though I seek to make dishes somewhat historically/regionally authentic, there’s still something nostalgic about that cheap Chinese takeout flavor. I got 3 kids and not a lot of time, so sometimes this is the way. And if you like this – there is a few more stashed away just like it.
