You know this is going to be good…there’s so many adjectives in the name!

Some recipes produce shy and gentle things and others, like this one, are boisterous and bold.  I wanted something that was full of citrus flavors and exotic spices and this definitely fit the bill.  This chicken dish is nothing short of a runaway flavor train!  I intended on marinating the chicken for a few hours but plans changed and it marinated for about 30 hours.  The result was bright, very tangy, lemony chicken.  The thick orange glaze had a distinctly Asian taste which complemented the citrus flavor in the chicken.  The only thing shy and gentle about this dish was the white rice!

For the marinade:

1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces

2 lemons (quartered)

1 orange (quartered)

2 Tbs sliced ginger

½ onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

For the Glaze:

1 cup orange juice (or juice of 3-4 oranges)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 Tbs Sriracha sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic, smashed

Orange zest, about ¼ cup

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 star anise

1 cinnamon stick, split and broken

2 Tbs cornstarch

For the stir-fry:

1 cup cooking oil

1 ½ lbs marinated chicken, cut into 1” pieces

¼ cup cornstarch

1 Tbs cooking oil

½ yellow bell pepper, chopped

½ orange bell pepper, chopped

3 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

1 green onion, chopped

¼ cup cilantro

• 

• 

Directions:

Prepare the marinade by cutting the lemons, orange and onion.  Slice the ginger.  Peeling the ginger is optional, since the ginger will only be used in the marinade. 

In a large plastic storage bag, add all of the marinade ingredients, including the chicken.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons and orange pieces as you toss them into the bag.  Refrigerate for at least two hours.

To prepare the glaze, add all of the ingredients for the glaze, except the cornstarch to a sauce pan.  Turn heat to low/medium stir to combine.  Simmer and stir occasionally for 20 minutes. 

Strain the solids from the sauce and return the sauce to the wok.

Remove a few tablespoons of the sauce and add to a small bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the cornstarch mixture back to the sauce and whisk to incorporate. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a sticky glaze. Remove the glaze to a bowl and keep warm.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Add the chicken to a mixing bowl.  Cover with 1/4 cup cornstarch.  Mix thoroughly, to coat the chicken.  Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before frying in a wok.

• 

• 

Add a cup of cooking oil to a wok and set the heat to high.  Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry the chicken, stirring only occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and golden brown.  Remove the chicken to a warm place. 

Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok.  Add the chopped bell pepper and stir for a few minutes. 

• 

• 

Return the chicken to the wok and stir again.

Add the prepared glaze and stir. Finally, add the green onion and stir briefly.

• 

Turn out to a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.

Serve with warm jasmine rice.