Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 180g (6.5 oz) chicken breast, in 2cm / 3/4in cubes
• 60g (1/3 cup) white rice, dry
• 120ml (1/2 cup) water, for the rice
• 60ml (1/4 cup) orange juice
• 15g (2 tsp) honey
• 10g (2 tsp) soy sauce
• 8g (1 tbsp) cornflour / cornstarch
• 1 tsp (5ml) sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves (6g), minced
• 1cm ginger (4g), minced
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, zest of 1/2 orange, 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Rinse and cook the rice in the 120ml water: boil, cover, lowest heat 10 min, rest 10 min off the heat.
2. Toss the chicken cubes with the salt and 4g (half) of the cornflour until they look dusty and dry.
3. Whisk the orange juice, honey, soy, orange zest and the remaining 4g cornflour in a cup and keep it by the pan.
4. Heat the sesame oil over high and sear the chicken 5-6 min, turning once, until deep brown and 74C / 165F inside. Lift it out.
5. Drop to medium, add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and fry 30 seconds - any longer and the garlic burns.
6. Pour in the sauce and stir constantly. It goes from thin to glossy in about 60 seconds; take it off the moment it coats the back of a spoon.
7. Return the chicken and toss to lacquer it. Serve on the rice.