New South's Sesame Chicken
We all know finding authentic international meals is a real challenge. There is nothing quite like experiencing the various flavors in authentic dishes, but that often requires a great deal of travel....and if you are from my neck of the woods, you will be traveling a VERY LONG WAY to experience the flavors that are representative of that faraway land you have been dreaming about!
Sydney and I love to experiment with our own versions of international meals. We have watched countless Youtube travel videos and researched various countries and their cuisine in order to find recipes that we want to try. Sometimes we feel pretty successful and other times we fail miserably, but experimenting with different flavors is a lot of fun!
If you enjoy eating at Chinese Restaurants here in the USA, chances are pretty high that you have tasted Sesame Chicken. This dish is similar to General Tso's Chicken but instead of the spiciness of General Tso's, Sesame Chicken is much sweeter.
This version is so easy and very tasty. Once you have prepared it once, you will wonder why you have not been cooking this at home all along!
I use chicken breasts, but you may use boneless thighs if you prefer dark meat. The process is quite simple. The chicken is cut into bite size pieces first, then battered and fried. The sauce is cooked in just a few minutes and the chicken is tossed in the sauce to cover. That's it!
Just serve with white rice and a few steamed veggies and you have a fast weeknight meal. Simple and delicious!
Ingredients:
2-3 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 & 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs beaten
Oil for frying (this can be fried using a skillet, no need to "deep" fry with a ton of oil)
For the sauce
5 oz soy sauce
4 oz water
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp garlic powder
dash of red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp sesame oil (a little sesame oil goes a long way)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tsp sesame seeds
5 oz cold water mixed with 2 teaspoons corn starch
Directions:
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Start by preparing the glaze/sauce. Combine the soy sauce, 4 oz water, tomato paste, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
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Add the water/corn starch mixture. Make sure this mixture has been stirred well before adding it to the pot.
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Stir this well, turn down to medium heat and allow it to cook until it thickens. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until the chicken is done.
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Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten eggs and cover completely.
[NOTE: Unlike my usual frying method, I don't season the chicken with extra spices here because there is plenty of salt and seasoning in the glaze.]
5. Toss the chicken in the flour and coat well. Set aside and heat the canola or vegetable oil.
6. When the oil is heated, fry the chicken in small batches using a skillet.
7. Turn the chicken periodically to ensure it browns lightly on both sides.
8. Remove the chicken when it is brown and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
9. Once the chicken is drained of excess grease, toss the chicken in the sauce.
10. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
This makes quite a bit of sauce. I would recommend spooning it over the chicken a little at the time and toss. Use the excess sauce on top of the rice if you would like.