Orange Dakgangjeong (American-Chinese Orange Chicken × Korean)

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry and cut it into 3 cm pieces. Season with salt and pepper, mix in the beaten egg, then add the cornflour and flour and toss until every piece is evenly coated. Press any dry clumps onto the chicken with your fingers.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 400 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper 1 pinchEgg 1Cornflour (cornstarch) 5 tbspPlain flour 1½ tbsp

2. Pour oil 3–4 cm deep into a deep pot (no more than one third full) and heat over medium-high heat to 170 °C. Add the chicken piece by piece and fry for 5 min until pale golden, then lift onto a rack. Number of batches: 2.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil, for deep-frying 800 ml

   medium-high heat

3. Raise the oil to 185 °C (high heat) and fry the chicken again for 1 min 30 sec until deep golden and crisp. Number of batches: 2.

   high heat

4. Finely grate only the orange part of the peel and squeeze the juice. Put the juice and zest, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes in a wide 24 cm pan and boil over medium heat for 2 min 30 sec. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook for 30 sec more until glossy and thick.

   Add in this stepOranges (for juice and zest) 1½Soy sauce 1½ tbspGochujang 1 tbspHoney 2 tbspRice vinegar 2 tspGarlic, minced 2 tspFresh ginger, minced 1 tspChilli flakes 2 pinchCornflour (for thickening, mixed with the same amount of water) 1 tsp

   medium heat

5. Turn off the heat, add the chicken and toss quickly. Scatter with spring onion and sesame seeds and serve with rice.

   Add in this stepSpring onion, finely sliced 2 tbspToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp