Sweet Clementine Orange Chicken

Sweet Clementine Orange Chicken

By: Linda Bonwill – World Class Cooking

"Many of us are familiar with the Asian dish, Orange Chicken. It is a battered chicken, deep-fried then coated with a sticky orange sauce. Well, we just took that popular dish to a whole new level."

We started by brewing a pot of the latest flavor of coffee, "Sweet Clementine."
We then incorporated the coffee with other Asian flavors to make the sauce. Next, we reduced it down into a thick sweet glaze. Not only did the house smell fantastic from the aroma, but the chicken dish was also outstanding. The addition of the coffee gave this recipe a pleasurable kick we were hoping. You will need to make this recipe to find out for yourself.

This is a Door County Coffee Fan recipe. It was not made in the kitchens of the Door County Coffee Café.

Ingredients

Featured ingredient: Sweet Clementine Coffee 10 oz. Bag Ground

    • 1 lb chicken tenders (or breasts), cubed
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • oil for frying

The Sauce:

    • 1 cup freshly brewed Sweet Clementine Coffe
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 2 TBS brown sugar, optional
    • 2 TBS rice vinegar
    • 2 TBS soy sauce (tamari)
    • 1 tsp ginger, minced
    • 1 tsp garlic, minced
    • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1 TBS Clementine (orange) zest
    • 1 tsp cornstarch
    • 2 TBS sesame seeds
    • Chopped scallions

Instructions for Chicken

  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Beat the egg in a bowl.
  2. Stir together the cornstarch, flour, and salt in a separate bowl.
  3. Carefully remove the chicken from the egg, leaving as much egg behind, and place in the flour mixture. Toss the chicken in the flour to coat. Place on a clean plate. Work in small batches. Repeat the process until all the chicken is coated..
  4. Heat fry oil in a pan (350 -375 degrees). Drop a few pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Continue to fry the remaining chicken. Place on a paper towel to absorb excess grease.

Instructions for Sauce

  1. Add the coffee, honey, sugar, vinegar, soy, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, and zest into a saucepan. Bring to a slight boil at med/high temperature. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tsp of water to make a slurry. Add into the saucepan. Stir until thickened, approx. 5 mins.
  2. Fold the chicken into the sauce to coat. Pour into a serving dish.Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Serve with rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
Serves up to four people