Spicy Orange Snapper

I'm calling this recipe 'Orange Snapper' because chicken is a very rare and expensive treat in these parts and we've decided that Red Snapper is the TRUE chicken-of-the-sea.  It's really a Chinese inspired orange sauce, and I've made this recipe with both snapper and beef, but chicken is the most likely choice.  I also don't have ready access to dream-vegetables like green onions and red-peppers, but imagine you could throw in just about anything.... I used cashews, ginger, onions and carrots.

Here we go...

Spicy Orange Snapper

To start, brown about 1/2 cup chopped cashews in a little butter, and set aside.  Use the same pan to sauté all your desired veggies in a few tbsp. of oil, and set aside with the cashews.

To bread snapper/chicken:
- 1 lb. meat
-1 egg
-1 tbsp milk
-1 cup four
-2 tsp salt

Cut meat into small cubes
Prepare bowl of egg and milk
Prepare bag with flour and salt.
Coat meat in egg mixture, and add piece by piece to the flour mixture - tossing occasionally to coat.
Stir-fry in about 1/3 cup oil until crunchy and golden.

For Orange sauce:
-3 tbsp. soy sauce
-3 tbsp. water
-8 tbsp. sugar
-5 tbsp. white vinegar
-The grated zest and juice of one orange
-Add some heat to taste (we like to use fresh poblanos, but you could also use dried, crushed red.)
-2 tsp. cornstarch.

Stir together all ingredients.  Pass the juice from the orange through a sieve before adding to the sauce.  Stir well.

Add cashews, veggies, and chicken back to the pan.  Reheat, and drizzle the sauce in its entirety over the whole lot.  Heat through until the sauce thickens, and serve over sticky white-rice.

I sometimes have the shameful urge to make a batch of this sauce to DRINK.  It's that good. Pin It Now!