Every Chinese restaurant has its own version of lemon chicken. Most sauces have the sweetness and color of a lemon meringue pie, which is unfortunate. I believe that the natural lemon flavor should come through. This recipe is light as well because the chicken is not batter-dipped.
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons mild-flavored honey
8 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon pulp
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¾ pound boneless, skinless medium sized chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally.
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup flour
1/3 cup cooking oil
½ teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Whisk the honey, lemon juice, zest and pulp together in a small bowl until blended.
Stir in the Hoisin sauce, pour into a small saucepan; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine egg with the salt and white pepper.
In a plastic bag, marinate the chicken in 3 Tablespoons of the lemon juice for a half hour at room temperature.
Combine ½ cup cornstarch with ½ cup flour.
Lightly coat the chicken with the cornstarch/flour mix.
Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and coat in the cornstarch again.
Let it stand for 5 minutes. Shake off the excess cornstarch prior to cooking.
In a wok, heat the oil until hot. Cook the chicken, a couple pieces at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat; add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.
Cut the chicken across the grain into 1/2-inch slices.
Place the chicken on a serving plate on a bed of shredded lettuce.
Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.