Asian Orange Chicken

Amarante

Wed, Jul 29 2020, 12:00 pm

This is NOT a stir fried breaded type of dish. It is a braised chicken with flavors that are reminiscent of orange chicken but much healthier and very easy to make. I marinated it the night before which made final cooking easier and the longer marinating time enhanced flavor.

You could use any parts of chicken that you prefer. I like boneless skinless chicken thighs for a braised chicken dish because the leftovers are better than chicken breasts. I take off the skin because there is no point in having the soggy fatty skin in a braised chicken dish. Chicken breasts would be good if you are eating it all when making it but braised dishes are good to make ahead or even frozen.

This is really a one pot meal since you cook the brown rice with the chicken. A salad goes well although one could get a bit more ambitious and make a stir fry with green veggies.

Asian Orange Chicken

Excerpt From: Jane Green. - Good Taste..

SERVES 6–8

Ingredients:

2 chickens, jointed into 8 pieces, seasoned
Zest of 4 oranges
⅔ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper
2 large red bell peppers
2 medium onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1½ cups chicken stock
¾ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
½ large orange, cut into ½" wedges, peel on
4 scallions (white bulbs and 3" green), thinly sliced on diagonal for garnish

Method:

Rinse and dry chicken pieces and combine orange zest and juice, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes into a bowl for marinade. Stir well, coat chicken pieces and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight

When ready to cook, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into 6 strips. Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the casserole and, when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces—2 or 3 at a time—and brown them to a nutty golden color on both sides. As they brown, move them to a plate lined with paper towels, using a slotted spoon. Next add remaining oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from time to time, for about 5 minutes.

After that add the garlic and toss around for a minute or 2 until the garlic is pale golden, then stir in the rice and, when the grains have a good coating of oil, add the stock, wine and tomato paste. As soon as everything has reached a simmer, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it’s important to keep the rice down in the liquid). Finally, scatter the wedges of orange in among them.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is cooked, but still retains a little bite. Alternatively, cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Garnish with scallions.