Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken - January 13, 2010

Two weeks into the new year and I haven't set off the smoke alarm yet with my cooking efforts - progress! This recipe harkens back to my early undergrad days at UC Davis (before I transferred to Berkeley) and comes from my cousin Christine (back in the days before I was snipped off that branch of the family tree, lol). It's really easy to make but in the past, I've botched this one up too. This time I made some simple modifications and, buoyed by the moderate success of my recent cooking experiences, I didn't find it that intimidating to make. It's not gourmet cooking but if you want a little flavor for some chicken, it's good enough.

The original recipe calls for chicken thighs but I substituted 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I pounded and cut into 4 thin pieces ala the Chicken Piccata. It also calls for dipping the chicken in flour, then egg, then flour then egg again to give it a good coating that fries up crisp - at least that's how I remember Christine making it. I skipped all that and just did a light coating in flour, also like the Chicken Piccata. I also skipped the oil and fried the chicken in a couple of teaspoons of light butter.

I did keep the sauce recipe exactly the same and once the chicken was fried, I poured the sauce over it, put in the oven and baked for 30 minutes. It came out tender. The flavor wasn't as good as I remember but this was also way back in my college days so I'm sure my taste buds have changed. But still, it's good enough for lunches for the rest of the week and I'm glad I made the modifications I did because my taste for fried, breaded food has also abated.

Sesame Chicken

Package of chicken thighs
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
1/8 cup sherry

1. Double dip chicken in egg then flour. Fry until golden brown.
2. Place chicken in foil-lined, shallow pan.
3. Mix soy sauce, sugar and sherry in a bowl. Pour over chicken.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in a preheated 350˚F oven.

ETA: this is a bit saltier than I remember it being. You might want to either substitute some of the soy sauce for sherry or add a bit more water.