Sesame Chicken

Do you shop at a local Asian or International Market?  If you don't you might want to give it a try. We have a pretty big selection of Markets on the South Side of Sacramento, but not so many up in the area where we live.  However, there is a pretty large international market called KP that isn't too far away.  Especially on the weekend when there's no traffic.

I headed over there yesterday to pick up a few things that I needed.  I ended up with a cart full of fresh produce, some egg roll wrappers and some de-boned chicken legs, and let me tell you, I would have easily spent twice as much if I'd bought the same things at Raley's.

I knew I wanted to make sesame chicken and the leg/thigh meat is so much more flavorful, and it was also really cheap!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it worked pretty well.  I'd definitely try it again!

Ingredients for the Chicken

1 large egg
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken leg/thigh portions
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)

Ingredients for the Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1½ Tbsp brown sugar
1½ Tbsp rice vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cornstarch 

Instructions for the Chicken:
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tbsp cornstarch.. Trim any excess fat from the chicken leg/thighs, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture.
Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil over very high heat. When the oil is very hot (it should look wavy on the surface), add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring only occasionally, until it is golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes). Drain off the excess oil, if desired. (If you double this recipe you may want to brown the chicken in batches so it all gets golden brown instead of just steaming.)

Instructions for the Sauce:
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds.
Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce. The sauce will begin to thicken as soon as it hits the hot skillet. Once the chicken is coated and the sauce thickened, turn off the heat.

Serve the chicken over a bed of rice and sprinkle the sliced green onions over top.