Lemon (Marmalade) Chicken with Almonds

This chicken is not only succulent and tasty, it also uses one of my favorite preserves, Marmalade.

I happen to have many jars of homemade marmalade on hand, some good and some not. I actually have more of the not so amazing marmalade because it took me a while to find a favorite.  Point of the story is that even a not so amazing marmalade will become an amazing sauce.   Use orange marmalade to make orange chicken, lemon marmalade for lemon chicken and so forth.

The sweet citrus and slight bitter taste of the marmalade pairs amazingly well with the earthy saltiness of the soy sauce.  Plus it is a quick sauce starter.  Where I live, there is no Chinese take-out anywhere close.  I had to find some substitute for bad Chinese take-out and this creation is so much better!  Make some Spring Rolls and fried rice and you might never order out for Chinese again. I know I won’t! Hehehe like I have a choice.  Try it, Love it, I do.

Lemon Chicken with Almonds

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-2” pieces (sub extra firm tofu)
• 8oz lemon marmalade
• 1T veg oil
• 2T soy
• 1ts sesame oil
• Pinch chili flakes
• 1/3c chicken broth (sub veg. broth)
• 1T ginger, minced
• 1T garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 med green pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1c broccoli, blanched if desired
• 1/2c almonds, toasted
• Toasted ramen noodles (optional, I crumbled and toasted half a pack.)
• 1/4c flour + 1/4c corn starch mixed together (optional, take-out style)

Dice up the chicken into uniform pieces so that it can marinate and cook uniformly.

Mix together the marmalade, veg oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce, in a large bowl or ziploc bag. Add chicken and mix thoroughly. Chill for up to 24 hours.

Using tongs or a strainer, reserve the marinade and remove the chicken from the liquids.

*For take-out style chicken, toss pieces in a corn starch/ flour mix before frying.

In a large wok or pan heat a scant 1/4c of peanut oil. Fry the chicken in batches until golden. Reserve to a warm bowl and drain excess oil.

Bring the pan temperature back up.  In a very hot pan, quickly cook the onions, until shiny and gold. Add the green peppers and broccoli and fry until tender. Push these to the edge of the pan, making a hole. Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper to the middle of the pan and allow to become fragrant before adding the chicken and stirring it all together.

Pour in the broth, and reserved marinade. Bring to a rapid boil and toss to coat.

Serve over fried rice and garnish with toasted ramen noodles.

 

*The pictures reflect a batch where I used chunky marmalade and coated the chicken before frying it.  Unless you have an amazing tempura you want to toss the chicken in, it will probably not stay crispy when tossed with the sauce.  After trying it both ways, I recommend that you skip the coating step.  That is what makes mine better than take-out. Instead, shake off excess marinade and stir fry the chicken naked. Save yourself the extra mess and extra calories.

Make this vegan by using tofu and veggie broth.