Orange and Ginger Chicken

I am one of those people who rarely orders out what I can make at home, and rarely makes at home what I normally eat out. That being said, I don’t make as much Asian food as I should.

My husband and I frequent a great little Thai restaurant in our neighborhood almost every week – RuThais. It is one of those places you go where you feel as if you are just going to a friend’s for dinner. We went there on our first date, attended the owner’s baby shower and even stopped in for dinner after getting engaged (yes, they knew even before our friends). But besides the fact they are our friends, their food is fantastic. They make the best Thai food in the city, and we have to go almost every week to get our fix.

But, I decided to break out of my cooking rut and try an Asian dish at home, since Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean food are hands down my favorite. This recipe seemed simple enough, and it was fantastic. I love the kick of the red pepper flakes, so I added that touch to the recipe (but you could certainly omit if you wanted).

Thanks again to Bon Appetit for this one!

ORANGE AND GINGER CHICKEN
Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
All purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Melt butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add ginger and red pepper flakes to skillet; stir 1 minute. Add brown sugar and mustard and stir to blend into drippings. Add orange juice and orange peel. Simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Simmer 3 minutes. Turn chicken over and add green onions. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, about 3 minutes longer. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken and sauce to platter.

Tags: Asian, bon appetit, Chicken, Chinese, ginger, green onions, orange, rice