My kids love sesame chicken takeout. If we get takeout (a rare occurrence) we have to get two large orders of this to prevent fisticuffs. I don’t mind it, but always seem to end up with a piece that is fatty or grisly, so I don’t eat much of it. They like it because it is sweet and deep fried.
I came upon a recipe for sesame chicken by Ellie Krieger in Food Network Magazine’s Sept issue. No deep frying involved, yet it promised a flavorful dish that is a good substitute. The verdict? They’re right. The chicken is browned in a bit of oil so it gets a nice flavor to it and the sauce is complex and rich. I really liked this a lot. I served it with some somen noodles. Like seemingly all Asian dishes, there are a lot of ingredients and steps, but I would say this was definitely worth it.
5 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1 1/4 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
6 tsp canola oil
2 scallions
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 c chicken broth
3 tbsp sugar
3-4 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili paste
4 cups snowpeas, trimmed
cooked brown rice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
whisk 3 tbsp of soy sauce with 2 tsp sesame oil and honey. Add chicken and marinate 20 min.
Remove chicken from marinade and cook in 2 tsp oil in nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook in 2 batches, turning once or twice, until done, about 3-5 min
Remove chicken and wipe out pan. Heat 2 tsp oil and add scallions (reserving some tops to sprinkle on dish), ginger, garlic and cook for 1 min. Whisk broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste, and remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce in a bowl. Add to the pan and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Add remaining 2 tsp sesame oil.
Cook snow peas in a steamer 2-3 min.
Return chicken to pan and heat through. Serve over brown rice with snow peas. Top with sesame seeds and reserved scallion.
Posted by Brette Sember 
Martha and Me 