Chinese Lemon Chicken
I once had amazing Lemon Chicken at a restaurant in the Caribbean and have worked hard to make my own version. This is pretty darn close.
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons or more Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt or 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoon arrowroot* or cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon grated ginger (I use more)
1 teaspoon Lemon Olive Oil
1 ¼ lb. chicken breast cutlets (or slice regular breasts into cutlets)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ - 2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons Lemon Olive Oil
Prepare the sauce as follows. In a small bowl, combine the broth, lemon juice, sherry, Lemon Balsamic Vinegar and salt or soy sauce, and set aside. In a separate cup, combine the arrowroot (or cornstarch) and water and set aside. In a small pot, combine 1 teaspoon Lemon Olive Oil and ginger. and stir-fry over medium heat just until the scent begins to be noticeable, about 30 seconds. Immediately add in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir the arrowroot and water and pour into the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. (If using cornstarch, be sure to let the sauce simmer at least 1 minute to get rid of any starchy taste.) Remove the sauce from the heat.
Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, then the egg and then the crumbs. Heat 4 tablespoons Lemon Oil over medium to medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a serving plate and pour on as much sauce as you like. Serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables.
*Arrowroot is a thickener that gives body and a glossy shine to sauces. Unlike cornstarch, it doesn't need to be cooked -- just heat until it thickens. It can be substituted for cornstarch in everything except dishes with dairy.