Honey Orange Chicken

Jamie Stolper

This is based on Joan Nathan's recipe in her original edition of The Jewish Holiday Kitchen (Schocken Books, 1979).  Joan uses whole chickens, cut up, but I have adapted it for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  This recipe is easier than it looks and really tastes delicious.  The chicken stays moist and there is a wonderful just-sweet-enough sauce to go with the chicken and any rice or other grain side dish you choose.  Leftovers, if there are any, are good cold.  I have a natural aversion to reheated chicken (me and Julia Child!), but I've found that you can re-heat this chicken in the sauce – covered, at a low temperature, in the oven or at a reduced power level in the microwave – with little loss in flavor.  This is a wonderful dish to serve for a Rosh Hashanah dinner.

Ingredients

1 egg
1 teaspoon water
1 cup breadcrumbs (or matzah meal)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 -2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup hot wate
1/8 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed or not-from-concentrate)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In one bowl, beat the egg with the teaspoon of water.  In another bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a heavy skillet.

Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs, and place gently in the skillet to brown.  After a few minutes, turn the chicken breasts to brown on the other side.

When nicely browned, place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish

Combine the hot water with the honey, orange juice, and ginger.  Stir until well-combined.  Pour the liquid over and around the chicken pieces.  Cover and simmer in the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover and test the thickest piece for doneness (no pink in the center), and serve.  [I place a chicken breast on each plate and pour some of the gravy on and around the chicken and some rice.  You can also serve the chicken pieces on a platter and pass the sauce in a gravy boat.]

Yield:  6-8 servings

Jamie Stolper is the Food Editor of ShalomBoston.com.