Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Oil for frying
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1/4 cup flour
3-4 cups broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine (Mirin)
1/4 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 orange

For Orange Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, mix together the egg, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Mix well. Stir in the chicken pieces.

2. In medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch. Add to the chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

3. In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and set aside.  

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a wok over medium-high heat.   Add the chicken, small batches at a time, and fry for 4-5 minutes until browned and crisp. When done remove the chicken from the oil with tongs (or Chinese strainer) and drain on paper towels or in a sieve over a bowl.  

5. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok.  Heat wok over high heat.  

6. Add broccoli to wok and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and stir try until fragrant, about 10 seconds.  Add the red pepper flakes and green onions, then the rice wine, stirring for a few seconds.

7. Add the orange sauce and bring to a boil.  Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the orange juice, add this mix to the chicken and heat until the sauce has thickened.  If the broccoli is not yet tender, cover the wok during this step to allow the broccoli to steam briefly.  

10. Add the cooked chicken to the wok, stirring until well incorporated.  Turn off the heat and stir in the orange zest.  Serve over rice.

Tips for making ahead for a crowd
Normally I’d avoid a recipe like this for company since my wok is only so large and the recipe involves a lot of time in the kitchen with the frying and everything.  There are steps that you can take to make this for a group. 

The day before:
1. Complete steps 1-3 of the recipe.  I.e., coat the chicken, fry the chicken, and assemble the sauce.  Store the chicken and sauce separately in the fridge. 

2. Cut the broccoli and store it in a container in the fridge. 

3. Mince the ginger and garlic and store them together in a small container in the fridge. 

4. Cut the green onion and store it in a container in the fridge with the red pepper flakes. 

5. Store the orange zest in a container in the fridge. 

6. Mix the cornstarch and orange juice in a container and store in the fridge – you’ll need to stir it at the last minute before adding it. 

To cook:
1. When you’re ready to cook the meal, get the rice going.  Heat oil in the wok over high heat and stir fry the broccoli until tender-crisp, working in batches depending on how much you’ve got.  Place broccoli in large bowl and set aside. 

2. Add a bit more oil to wok and then add ginger and garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Add the green onions and red pepper flakes, stirring for a few seconds before adding the mirin. 

3. Add the orange sauce and bring to a boil – this might take a bit if you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, since you’ll have more sauce.  Stir the juice and cornstarch again and add to the wok.  Stir until thickened. 

4.  Add the chicken from the fridge and stir until coated with sauce and heated through.  Add the chicken and sauce to the bowl with the broccoli, add orange zest, and toss well to combine.  The rice should be ready by now, or close to being ready, and voila.  Easy meal to make when company is over assuming you invest the time the day before to get everything all ready!

Comments
Orange chicken is another dish I’ve never had in a Chinese restaurant.  I’ve heard that it’s not actually very orange-y.  This recipe rectifies that!  I juice the orange after zesting it and, if it doesn’t give me enough juice for the recipe I top it off with some Simply Orange.  This is a fantastic dish and you can easily control the heat level by increasing or reducing the amount of red pepper flakes.  This recipe is one of our many favorites.

I have updated the recipe with make ahead instructions, since it turns out it's fairly easy to prepare this for a crowd and get almost everything done the day before!

Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in colander set over large bowl. Rinse under running water, tossing with hands until water runs clear. Drain potatoes well.

2. Bring potatoes, smashed garlic, lemon juice, chicken broth, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in large nonstick skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add oil to pan and continue to cook until deep golden brown, about 5-10 minutes, gently stirring halfway through. Off heat, stir in parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. 



Comments
This recipe is the Cook's Country take on my beloved Greek Potatoes (which I need to make again since that photograph does not do them justice).  This is a streamlined version that is made all in one skillet.  The flavors were great and I could really taste the similarities between the version I’ve made in the past and this version.  Lots of lemony goodness! 

Shown here with Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots.

Ingredients
3 cups half and half (Or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream.)
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
7 large egg yolks

Instructions
1. Bring milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in ginger and let steep, covered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

3.  Add a small spoonful of milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk. Repeat, one spoonful at a time, until egg mixture is warmed.  Add egg mixture to remaining milk mixture and continue to whisk until completely incorporated. 

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon (do not let boil).

5. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, discarding solids, and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 1/2 hours.  (Chilling it overnight is fine too.) 

6. Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer into an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 4 hours.



Comments
This ice cream recipe is from epicurious.com and I think it’s one of the first I ever tried after I got an ice cream machine and, oh boy, did I screw it up.  I think I must have added 9 tablespoons of ginger that first time, and I didn’t bother to strain it before freezing, and it was… not very good.  This time I followed the instructions and it was fantastic.  The ginger gives the ice cream quite a bite!

Shown here with Chocolate Wontons.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon; lemon cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks
1 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks
4 tablespoons dry white wine
4 skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick (Haddock, red snapper, halibut, and sea bass are acceptable substitutes.)

Instructions
1. Combine butter, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Combine parsley, zest, and garlic in another small bowl; set aside. Place carrots and leeks in medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss together.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450*F. Cut eight 12-inch sheets of foil; arrange four flat on counter. Divide carrot and leek mixture among foil sheets, mounding in center of each. Pour 1 tablespoon white wine over each mound of vegetables. Pat fish dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper and place one fillet on top of each vegetable mound. Spread quarter of butter mixture on top of each fillet. Place second square of foil on top of fish; crimp edges together in 1/2-inch fold, then fold over three more times to create a packet about 7 inches square. Place packets on rimmed baking sheet (overlapping slightly if necessary).

3. Bake packets 15 minutes. Carefully open foil, allowing steam to escape away from you. Using spatula, gently slide fish and vegetables onto plate with any accumulated juices; sprinkle with parsley mixture. Serve immediately, passing lemon wedges at table.  (If you're not using all 4 pieces at once, you should still open them to allow the steam to escape to prevent the fish from overcooking.) 



Comments
Since salmon is my favorite fish, that tends to be the fish I cook most.  I do, however, love other types of fish and Lance is quite the fan of cod.  This recipe from the 2009 Cook's Illustrated Annual caught my eye and I decided it would be a good one to try when Art was out of town. 

I found the flavors the fish absorbed to be fantastic, the lemon and garlic worked well with the vegetables and it was a nice dish.  The fish pieces were a bit on the small side but this just meant that Lance could have two!

Shown here with Lemon Potatoes.