Chinese Lemon Chicken
A delicious and authentic soups and broths recipe for Chinese Lemon Chicken, prepared with traditional seasonings and techniques.
Ingredients
- • 1/4 cup chicken broth
- • 1/4 cup lemon juice ((juice from 1 big lemon))
- • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry) (Optional))
- • 4 tablespoons sugar
- • 1 tablespoon cornflour
- • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (zest from 1 lemon (*Footnote 1))
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 14 oz large boneless skinless chicken breast (, cut to 1” (2.5-cm) pieces (or 2 chicken thighs))
- • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 1 egg
- • 1/2 cup cornflour
- • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- • 2 spring onions (, sliced (white part for cooking and green part for garnishing))
- • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
Preparation Steps
Combine the sauce ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
Combine chicken, oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 15 minutes.
When you’re ready to cook, add the beaten egg to the chicken. Stir to mix well. Add cornflour. Stir to coat chicken, until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornflour left unattached.
Heat oil in a large frying pan until hot, just starting to smoke. Add chicken all at once and spread into a single layer in the frying pan. Separate chicken pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks.
Cook without touching the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes (very important, so the chicken crisps up further).
Place the pan back on the stove and turn to medium heat. You should still have 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. If there’s too much oil, pour out or use paper towels to remove the excess oil. Add spring onions and ginger. Cook and stir a few times until it releases fragrance.
Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornflour completely. Pour into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens.
Add back the chicken. Stir to coat chicken with sauce. Transfer to a plate and serve hot as a main dish.