Shelly's Recipe

Firecracker Chicken with Orzo Salad from Seven Sisters and Café West in Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Category: Chicken

Ingredients:
Firecracker sauce (see recipe)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ pounds)
2 cups flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 egg whites
1 cup vegetable oil (about)
For firecracker sauce:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup yellow mustard
3 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
For orzo salad:
1 cup whole-wheat orzo
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup diced carrot
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced green onions or red onion
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
¼ cup cooked black beans
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Set aside. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces or strips and transfer to a large zipper-lock storage bag. Add ¼ cup firecracker sauce to bag, and gently coat all pieces of chicken. Refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to 2 hours.

In a large, shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder. Add 6 tablespoons firecracker sauce and, using your hands, combine until mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.

In another large bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken pieces into egg whites, and then into flour mix, pressing lightly to adhere. Place chicken on wire rack set on rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate 15 minutes or longer, up to 4 hours.

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place about half the chicken strips in oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through. This will take 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Transfer cooked chicken strips to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and place in preheated oven while finishing the rest of the chicken. (If needed, add additional oil to the pan.) When all chicken is cooked, transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with remaining firecracker sauce. Serve with orzo salad.

Orzo salad:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.

In a medium bowl, mash the garlic with the salt using back of a spoon. Whisk in lemon juice and olive oil. Add the cooked orzo, the vegetables, cilantro and beans and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed.