newsgate.watson.ibm.com!yktnews!admin!The-Village!waterbed
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Re: REQUEST:  Sesame Chicken Recipe
From: Larry Margolis <margoli@watson.ibm.com>
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 04:55:22 GMT
Reply-To: margoli@watson.IBM.com
Organization: The Village Waterbed
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

In  <1992Sep8.194542.4618@ncar.ucar.edu>  donnam@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Donna Melle) writes:
>
> I'm looking for a recipe for Sesame Chicken.  It's a chinese or vietnamese
> dish with batter-coated chicken pieces and a sweet-hot (spicy) sauce.
> Usually served over rice.  I've had it at several local chinese
> restaurants here in Boulder, Colorado.  I'd love to make it at home.

Saved the following.  Enjoy.

Larry Margolis, MARGOLI@YKTVMV (Bitnet), margoli@watson.IBM.com (Internet)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi)
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Orange Sesame Chicken
Date: 8 Dec 89 11:45:05 GMT
Reply-To: portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi)

The recipe comes from "Classic Chinese Cooking" by Anna Kao, published
by Pocket Books, NY.  I give it high marks if you are interested in
preparing "restuarant-like" chinese dishes, though some of the recipes
use too much salt for my tastes.  I'll give the recipe, quoted from
the cookbook:

                        Orange Sesame Chicken
                         Chu Tzu Gee - Peking

2 whole chicken breasts
flour for dusting
1 ounce rice sticks
peanut or other oil for deep-frying
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

MARINADE:
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of white pepper

BATTER:
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce

ORANGE SAUCE:
1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon orange liqueur or orange extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch


1.  Skin and bone and butterfly-cut the chicken breasts.

2.  Mix marinade and add chicken, tossing to coat well.  Cover and
chill 10 minutes.

3.  Toss chicken with flour in a plastic bag;  coat well.

4.  Combine batter ingredients; mix until smooth and free of lumps.

5.  Heat 1" of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 400 degrees.  Test with
one piece of rice stick:  Within 3 seconds the rice stick added to oil
should puff.  When oil is ready, fry rice sticks 3 seconds.  Turn and
fry the other side 3 seconds.  Drain and cool.  Break into 1-inch
pieces and sprinkle on serving platter.

6.  Heat 1" of oil in a wok or skillet to 375 degrees.  Dip chicken in
batter and fry both sides until golden brown.  Drain.

7.  Cut fried breasts into 1-inch sections and place on platter atop
rice sticks.  Keep warm.

8.  Mix orange-sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring
until sauce thickens and boils.  Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle
with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.

TO PREPARE AHEAD:  Follow steps 1-6, frying chicken light brown only.
Refrigerate in a plastic bag.  Store rice sticks in a plastic bag at
room temperature.  Before serving, re-fry chicken until golden brown
and follow steps 7 and 8.

------------------------------

Here's my modification to the recipe.

Replace Step 1 with:

1.  Skin and bone and cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

Delete Step 7.

This method is more work when you deep fry, but the recipe turns out
nicer because each piece of chicken is completely coated with batter.
I suspect the original instructions were meant to save labor at the
deep-fry stage, but I would rather spend the extra effort -- it's
worth it.

Enjoy.

                                --M