American-Chinese Orange Chicken or Tofu

1 chicken breast, butterflied and cut into scallops
1 block firm tofu, pressed and cut into thick pieces
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
½ onion, finely sliced
1 thumb-size piece ginger, finely julienned
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 egg
Cornflour, for coating
Salt and white pepper

The Orange Sauce
Juice of 2 mandarins or oranges
2 to 3 tablespoons mandarin soaking water
1 piece dried mandarin peel, soaked
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
Squeeze lime juice

PREPARATION

1. Start by squeezing the mandarins into a bowl. Taste the juice first to judge sweetness. Add a few tablespoons of the mandarin soaking water and one softened piece of dried mandarin peel.
2. Add barbecue sauce and ketchup, mixing well. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and a squeeze of lime juice. Taste and adjust with a little more sugar or lime to balance sweet and sour. Set aside.
3. Lightly season the chicken and tofu with a drizzle of sesame oil. Keep the tofu handling gentle to prevent breaking. Beat the egg lightly and coat both chicken and tofu pieces in egg.
4. Season cornflour with salt and white pepper. Coat each piece thoroughly until dry and dusty white. Shake off excess.

COOKING

1. Heat oil to 180°C. Fry tofu first, piece by piece, until golden and crisp. Remove and drain. Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Drain well.
2. Heat a wok until smoking hot. Add a small amount of oil and stir fry onions first, followed by ginger and garlic. Keep everything moving.
3. Pour in the orange sauce over high heat and allow it to bubble vigorously until it thickens to a syrupy consistency.
4. For chicken, add directly into the sauce and toss rapidly for 5 seconds until coated, then remove immediately to keep it crisp. For tofu, spoon the thickened sauce over the top instead of tossing to preserve texture.

Serve immediately while crisp and glossy.

School of Wok Tips

• Taste your orange juice before adding sugar to control sweetness naturally.
• Coat protein thoroughly in cornflour for maximum crispiness.
• Toss chicken quickly in sauce to avoid losing crunch.
• Spoon sauce over tofu instead of tossing to keep it crisp.

FAQs

Is orange chicken authentic Chinese food?
It is a Chinese-American creation inspired by sweet and sour flavours common in Chinese cuisine.

Can I bake instead of deep fry?
Yes? You can oven bake coated chicken or tofu at high heat, though it will be less crispy than deep frying.

Why add lime juice if using oranges?
Lime sharpens the citrus flavour and balances sweetness without overpowering the orange base.