This made a lot and I'm very appreciative for so many leftovers! The chicken turned out pretty good, but I think cooking with the tempura batter is an art... and a science. I think the main point I learned is that for the best looking chicken, the chicken should be completely covered in batter and with a decent amount on each bite. The one batch of chicken I tried this technique on, I literally dipped the chicken bits one by one and made sure they were covered in batter. The next batch I put a few handfuls of chicken in the batter and tossed. It just didn't seem to have the same results, though it was still good. I also think it might be that the mixture wasn't as cold - the colder the batter, the crispier it makes the chicken.
Interesting facts about Cambodia:
- Cambodia's flag is the only flag in the world that has a building on it - the Angkor Wat (the largest religious structure in the world).
- There are no McDonald's restaurants in Cambodia, but there is a Burger King.
- The typical wedding can last up to 3 days in activities, while a proper funeral can last 49 days, with the average cost of $9,000 USD.
Orange Chicken
6-8 chicken breasts cut to bite size
Tempura batter (see recipe below)
Oil for deep frying chicken
1 tablespoon julienne fresh ginger (I used ground ginger)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 bottle of orange sauce (I used the sauce by Panda Express)
Green onion for garnish
Roasted sesame seeds for garnish
1. Mix all ingredients for the tempura batter and deep fry the chicken, drain and set aside.
2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, fry ginger and orange zest until fragrant.
3. Add chicken and orange sauce to it (add enough sauce to cover the meat), stir fry until well combined and everything is heated through. Turn the heat off and add sesame seeds and green onion for garnish.
Tempura Batter (additional tips can be found here)
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted (I didn't sift the batter)
1 egg
1 cup water
Ice cubes for chilling the water
1. In a small bowl, sift the flower 1-2 times to remove any clumps and to make it light and soft. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, gently beat 1 large egg until the yolk and egg whites are just barely incorporated.
3. Combine 1 cup of water and ice cubes in a cup. Using a strainer, strain the water (you should have 1-cup of ice-cold water) and add it to the bowl with the beaten egg. Do not add ice cubes to the tempura batter.
4. Add the sifted flour into the bowl with the beaten egg-water mixture and gently stir using chopsticks until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter; it should be a little lumpy.
In Khmer, the official language of Cambodia.... ខ្ញុំទទួលបានផ្លាកសញ្ញារបស់ខ្ញុំ! - I earned my badge!
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