Lemon Chicken

January 16, 2013

Author: KatieChin

Love me, love my lemon chicken. Pucker up, folks, because this lemon chicken is out of this world! The batter fries up incredibly light crispy and the sauce is bright, fresh and of course, super duper lemony. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart (like me, according to my hubby…haha) and is great to serve at a dinner party because you can keep the chicken warm in the oven during cocktail hour and simply heat up the sauce and pour it over the chicken just before serving dinner.

I think this lemon chicken recipe is the father to orange chicken. Don’t mess with tradition, I say, and see what makes this dish a classic to share with generations to come. I like finding fun modern platters like the one pictured here to serve my culinary creations on.

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 egg

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash white pepper

peel of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

Cut the chicken in half lengthwise and pound to flatten the thick part so the chicken is of consistent thickness. Place the chicken in a shallow glass or plastic dish. Mix 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the egg, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; pour over chicken. Turn chicken to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the marinade. Reserve the marinade.
Heat vegetable oil (1 1/2 inches) in wok to 350 degrees. Mix reserved marinade, the flour, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dip chicken breast one at a time into batter. Fry 2 pieces at a time until light brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees. Fry chicken all at one time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Cut each piece crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Place in a single layer on a heated platter.
Heat chicken broth, honey, lemon juice, corn syrup, vinegar, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the ketchup, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dash of white pepper and the lemon peel to boiling. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; stir into sauce. Cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds. Remove lemon peel. Garnish with lemon slices and pour the sauce over chicken. Serve immediately with hot, jasmine rice.