This is the stuff of nightmares, as far as I'm concerned. Super sweet with little chicken flavor, it seems more like a creation of Willy Wonka than an actual Chinese chef.
But in fact, this is merely a twisted, inauthentic take on something that with a bit of thought can actually be divinely delicious.
If you look into the lineage behind this recipe, you find that it came from Guangzhou, a city that really, really, really knows how to eat. Their elevated take on classic Cantonese food is almost always so light, flavorful, and aesthetically pleasing that Chinese gourmets number it among the Great Four Cuisines.
If you look into the lineage behind this recipe, you find that it came from Guangzhou, a city that really, really, really knows how to eat. Their elevated take on classic Cantonese food is almost always so light, flavorful, and aesthetically pleasing that Chinese gourmets number it among the Great Four Cuisines.
This past week the thought of whipping up some really good lemon
chicken started to haunt me. And when I obsess about a dish like this, my brain soon becomes a very annoying place to live in as images and ideas start to crowd out my dreams, and this
goes on until I figure out the answers. Staring at the ceiling at three a.m., I
started picturing how it could be tweaked a bit, with a bit more breadth in the
flavor spectrum, a bit more depth in the texture, and a little Italian twist to
take this old chestnut into the twenty-first century.
This is the result, and I am in love and my sleep is once more uninterrupted by lemons and poultry.
This is the result, and I am in love and my sleep is once more uninterrupted by lemons and poultry.
Here the chicken breast
is sliced thinly, patted even thinner, and then given a simple marinade. It is
coated with an egg white and then dipped in half sweet potato flour and half
tempura flour because that happens to currently be my favorite fry coating, as it crisps up into a crunchy, super-light layer that seals in all of the chicken's juices.
 |
| Pat flat with side of cleaver |
The
sauce is nothing more than fresh lemon juice, sugar, and salt, with a bit of
garlic added to lend a touch of earthy perfume to stand up against the floral
notes of the lemon. And finally, I took a cue from the best way to cook
artichokes on the planet (Italy's baby artichokes with lemons and Parmesan)* and fried some lemon
slices in oil.
This ended up being the perfect foil for the sweet/sour sauce
because the peel is ever-so-slightly bitter, and then it caramelizes in the oil,
which gives the peel a dark sort of sweetness. Nothing at all cloying here.
Sweet, sour, salty,
bitter, and savory are all balanced, and it is pure dynamite. I call it “big
boy” because this definitely is not designed for toddlers.
Big boy lemon chicken
Níngméng ji 檸檬雞
Guangdong
Serves 4
Chicken:
1 organic, free range chicken breast (half a whole breast), bones and
skin removed
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon rice wine of any kind
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
½ cup tempura batter mix (like Shirakiku brand)
½ cup sweet potato flour (get a Taiwanese brand)
Sauce:
Juice from half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons), improved Meyer lemon
recommended
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon filtered water
1 tablespoon fresh oil
1 clove garlic, minced
The rest:
The other half of the lemon, cut in half and sliced very thinly, seeds removed
Peanut or vegetable oil as needed
1. Remove the tendons and any membranes from the meat. Use a sharp chef’s
knife to cut the breast across the grain into diagonal ½ inch thick slices, and
then gently flatten each slice with a light whack from the wide side of the blade. (These three steps ensure that the meat will be supremely tender.)
2. Place the slices in a small work bowl and toss in the salt, wine, and pepper; cover and refrigerate for an hour or more. An hour or so before you want to serve this, toss the chicken with the egg white, and then dip each slice a mixture of the tempura flour and sweet potato flour. Lay the slices on a large plate next to the stove and have a pair of tongs or chopsticks ready, as well as a clean work bowl.
2. Place the slices in a small work bowl and toss in the salt, wine, and pepper; cover and refrigerate for an hour or more. An hour or so before you want to serve this, toss the chicken with the egg white, and then dip each slice a mixture of the tempura flour and sweet potato flour. Lay the slices on a large plate next to the stove and have a pair of tongs or chopsticks ready, as well as a clean work bowl.
 |
| Scrape out the tendons |
3. Mix together the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cornstarch, and then
stir in the water. Have the oil and garlic ready alongside a serving plate.
4. First, fry the lemon slices by heating about ½ inch of oil in a wok
or pan on medium and then placing the slices in the oil in a single layer. Turn
the slices over as they brown, and when they have a good color on them, remove
them to the serving plate and skim any tiny bits out of the oil. Fry the coated
chicken in the oil in a single layer, and when each side is brown on both
sides, remove to the clean work bowl; repeat until all have been fried, adding
more oil as necessary. (This can be done ahead of time up to this point and the
chicken kept warm in a low oven.)
5. Just before serving, pour out the oil in the wok or pan and wipe it
clean. Heat the wok over medium-high and add the oil and garlic. Toss the
garlic in the oil until it starts to smell great but hasn't browned, and then
pour all of the sauce mixture in at once. Stir it around quickly as it comes to
a boil and quickly toss in all of the chicken and lemon slices. Continue to toss
these in the sauce until they are all lightly coated, and then arrange this back
on the plate. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
* Thanks to Cheryl Sternman Rule for allowing me to link to her recipe.
