Orange Chicken with Rice

Toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch until they are well coated. If you like a thicker crust on the chicken, dip them in a egg whisked together with 1 tbsp water and then in the cornstarch again for a thicker crust.

Heat a large sauté pan on the stove and add enough cooking oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Pan cook the chicken pieces until they are golden brown and cooked through. If desired, you can deep fry the chicken pieces too until they are golden and fully cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Sauté the chopped bell pepper, celery stalks, onion, minced ginger and garlic for about 2 minutes in the hot pan until he celery and bell pepper are tender.

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, white vinegar, zest and orange juice plus the juice from the orange, water and brown sugar together until combined. I like to add about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp cornstarch to this mixture to make sure it thickens up nicely in the pan.

Add the mixture to the pan and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add the cooked chicken into the sauce. Stir everything together.

Remove from the heat and serve with cooked rice and garnish with freshly chopped chives or green onions. Enjoy!