The Sam Livecast: Semi-Final Round WIN with Baked Ponzu Orange Chicken

Baked Ponzu Orange Chicken
Photo by Lynn Chi

I wish I knew how to say thank you in a way that expressed gratitude way beyond words, because I am so lucky to have been chosen for The Sam Livecast Cooking Competition FINALS!

This week had a chicken theme, so I had to scour my past recipes for something that was creative, beautiful and DELICIOUS!  I remember Sam and crew talking about how much they loved Chinese food and all those wonderful "authentic" buffets on Convoy Street in San Diego, so my Orange Chicken immediately came to mind.  I knew I had to perfect and simplify the sauce to meet our $25 budget and 45 minute time limit, so Ponzu sauce immediately became the base for the new sauce.  It was a success! 

I'll be at the finals held at Fixtures Living in San Diego.  Anyone can watch, so if you're in San Diego, if you're a Sam the Cooking Guy Fan, and if you're free on October 17th, PLEASE come watch us cook!

In the meantime, watch the episode at the bottom of this post and enjoy the recipe!

Baked Ponzu Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 25 minutes / Servings: 3

Ingredients:
Rice:

• 1 cup short grain, white Calrose rice
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt

Chicken:

Baked Ponzu
Orange Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, quartered
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 bag of Boulder Canyon Rice & Bean chips with Adzuki Beans (available at Whole Foods Market)
• olive oil cooking spray

Sauce:

• 1 cup Ponzu sauce
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1/4 tsp. red chili flake
• 3 tbsp. Agave Nectar
• 1 scallion, chopped (white part only)
• 1 tbsp. corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Garnish:

• 6 scallion sprigs (green end only)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped (green end only)
• 3 orange slices, cut in half
• 1 tsp. orange zest 
• 1 tsp. red chili flake
• Olive oil spray

Steps:
Rice:

1. Heat a medium saucepan to medium heat. Add the rice, butter and salt.   Stir with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes, until butter is melted and rice is toasted.  
2. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer.  Allow to cook for 20 minutes, until rice is soft and water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray.
3. Set up three stations; 1) a plate or bowl with one cup flour; 2) a plate or bowl with 1/2 cup egg substitute; 3) a large, sealable plastic bag.
4. Empty the bag of chips into the sealable plastic bag and crush them until they're a fine, bread crumb like texture.
5. Take 2-4 pieces of the quartered chicken tenders and dredge each piece through the flour, and shake off excess.
6. Next, coat the pieces in the egg substitute and then toss them in the bag of chip crumbs.  Close the bag, then shake and squeeze the bag slightly to coat the pieces completely in the crumbs.
7. Remove the breaded pieces from the bag and place them on the cookie sheet. 
8. Repeat steps until all the chicken pieces are breaded and coated.  
9. Spray both sides of all the pieces with olive oil cooking spray.  
10. Place the chicken in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven, dip in the Orange Ponzu Sauce and serve immediately.

Sauce:

1. In a small saucepan combine Ponzu sauce, red chili flake, Agave nectar and chopped scallion.  Squeeze the juice from the four orange quarters into the saucepan and then place the rinds into the saucepan. Stir until combined and bring the sauce to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cook 5 minutes and then remove the orange rinds with tongs, squeezing out the remaining juice.
2. Add corn starch and whisk vigorously until desired thickness is achieved.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

To Serve:

1. Place two scallion sprigs diagonally on a plate.
2. Spray a 1/3 measuring cup with olive oil spray.  Tightly pack the measuring cup with rice and carefully empty it onto the center of the plate, creating a circular cup shaped serving of rice.  Twist 1/2 of an orange slice and place on top of each serving of rice.
3. Dip each piece of baked chicken in to the saucepan of hot Orange Ponzu Sauce and quickly remove with a slotted spoon.  Place 4-5 pieces of chicken on each plate.
4. Garnish chicken with chopped scallions, a pinch of orange zest and a pinch of red chili flake. 
5. Divide the remaining sauce up into three small ramekins and place on the plate to serve for dipping.