This is going to be an unapologetic advertisement for a website called MadewithLau.com. There are some great recipes and videos on that site. And I love it that Randy Lau shows such respect and love for his Dad. At the end of the video that teaches you how to make Sesame Chicken, you join the Lau family at the table as they talk about this dish and how to make it and the fact that the baby loves broccoli. Who doesn’t love a cute baby eating broccoli? I think the recipe for Sesame Chicken on the web site is so well written that I could have made this dish without watching the video. BUT… watch the video. You might even want to join Randy’s cooking club!

Check out the beautiful Lenox Pagoda china I snagged on Ebay. I am so loving these dishes. The band is a beautiful Wedgwood-y powder sky-blue. The plate showcases Chinese-American food perfectly … so elegant and understated. I picked up some Crab Rangoon at the neighborhood Chinese take-out shop and spent a Friday night making Sesame Chicken. It was a better than restaurant meal on a beautiful table that got my weekend off to a pretty great start.

Directions

Prepare your mise en place. Cut and cube the chicken breast into 1 inch chunks or a little larger. Slice the red bell pepper. Roast the sesame seeds over low heat in a small skillet until they are a bit darker. Do not burn!

Step 1

Mix the Marinade ingredients. Put the chicken in the marinade and massage the sauce into the chicken. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Make the batter. Mix all ingredients until you have a batter that is just a little soupier than a pancake batter. Adjust the amount of water needed to get the right consistency. Remember to use only half the beaten egg for this batter.

Step 3

Make the sauce. Mix all ingredients and set aside.

Step 4

The chicken is going to be twice-fried. Bring your oil up to about 350 degrees in a Dutch oven or wok. Take the chicken out of the frig. Dip the chicken chunks into the batter and then drop it into the oil and fry until light golden brown, a couple of minutes.

Step 5

Set the chicken aside on a rack over a sheet pan. You can press "pause" on this recipe now and go open that bottle of wine.

Step 6

Fry the chicken the second time at about 375 degrees. Put on the rack and set aside.

Step 7

Pour out excess oil from your wok, or remove the Dutch oven from the flame, and be careful doing that please. Then heat a wok over medium high heat and pour in a few TBS. of oil. Let it come to a shimmer.

Step 8

Saute the garlic in the hot wok and add the small red chili pepper.

Step 9

When the garlic is golden, lower the temp a bit and add the sauce.

Step 10

Cook the sauce a few minutes, then add the slurry. Do not add the slurry when the sauce is boiling hot. Let the temp come down a bit. Stir until thickened.

Step 11

Add the red bell pepper and the dried chili pepper. Keep stirring.

Step 12

Add the chicken. Or. you can serve the chicken with the sauce on the side.

Step 13

Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the dish.