Try your lemon chicken the traditional way — or battered and crispy
Some prefer flaky l emon chicken. Others like it more crispy and battered. You can have it both ways with these two recipes.
The first is a more traditional version of this Cantonese dish adapted from a recipe in the impressive book, The Food of China (Whitecap Books).
To make it, chicken is sliced and marinated, egg is added, the chicken pieces are coated in cornstarch and fried until crispy. The chicken is then drained and tossed with lemon sauce.
It’s not really a batter in this recipe, but you do end up with very tasty, nicely coated chicken.
The second recipe is more of a North American-style version of the dish, where the chicken does get coated in a batter that has Asian-style ingredients, such as rice flour and soy sauce. After it’s fried, the chicken is crispy, flaky and delicious when topped with the lemon sauce.
Try each version of the dish and see which you prefer. In either case, for a simple meal, serve the chicken with rice and a steamed green vegetable.
Cantonese-style Lemon Chicken
Sliced, marinated and crisply fried chicken tossed with tangy lemon sauce.
Serves 4 to 6
For the chicken: 1 tablespoon rice wine, brandy or sherry 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 1 medium garlic clove, minced 1 green onion, very thinly sliced 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut widthwise, into 1/4-in slices 1 large egg, beaten 3/4 cup cornstarch Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Combine first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in chicken, cover, refrigerate and marinate 1 hour. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
When marinated, mix the egg into the chicken mixture.
Spread cornstarch on a wide plate.
Coat each piece of chicken in cornstarch, and then set in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Fill a large wok or wide, deep skillet one-quarter full with oil. Set on the stove over medium, medium-high. Warm the oil to 375 F. Fry the chicken, in 3 or 4 batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon, drain it well, and then set on a clean plate. Fry remaining chicken in this fashion and set aside until sauce is ready. For the lemon sauce and to complete the dish: 1/3 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
Drain the oil from the wok or skillet. Place all ingredients, except green onion, in the pan and whisk to combine. Bring to simmer, and simmer 1 minute until lightly thickened. Add the chicken and stir and cook until nicely coated with the sauce and heated through. Spoon chicken onto a serving dish, sprinkle with green onion, and enjoy,
Crispy Battered Lemon Chicken
The rice flour and cornstarch in the simple batter for the chicken help give it a crisp texture.
Serves 4
For the lemon sauce: 1 teaspoon finely grated zest 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Place all ingredients in a small pot and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, simmer 1 or 2 minutes, until lightly thickened, and then remove from heat and cover until needed. For the chicken and to serve: 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 large egg 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon water 3 tablespoons rice flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch Ground white pepper to taste Vegetable or peanut oil for frying Lemon slices and parsley sprigs for garnish
Set one chicken breast flat on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, horizontally cut the breast into three thin slices and set them on a plate. Repeat with the other chick- en breast.
Place the egg, soy sauce and water in a medium-sized bowl and beat until well combined. Whisk in the rice flour and cornstarch until a smooth batter is created.
Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour 1 inch of oil in a large skillet set over medium to medium-high heat. Heat oil to 350 F.
Add the chicken to the batter and turn and evenly coat it.
Fry the chicken, in batches, for 2 minutes per side, or until golden, crispy and cooked through. Drain the cooked chicken on paper towels, and then set on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until all the chicken is cooked.
When the chicken is all cooked, set the sauce back on the heat and bring to a simmer.
Set chicken on a cutting board and slice each breast, widthwise at a slight angle, into 1/2-in pieces and arrange on a large platter.
Drizzle with the lemon sauce, garnish with lemon slices and parsley, and serve. Eric Akis is the author of Everyone Can Cook Everything.