As spring melts away winter, yujacha (Korean citron marmalade tea, 유자차) and other hot drinks have less of what it takes to slake your thirst. But remnants in that jar of yujacha mix lingering from winter in the pantry can produce more than tea. This recipe enlivens a Chinese American food favorite — orange chicken — with tangier citron and zippier Korean hot red pepper.
My husband enjoyed the recipe’s sourness. If you prefer your “sweet and sour” on the sweet side, feel free to throw out the ginger or add a little bit more sugar to the mix.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup [amazon_link id=”B00352TUBA” target=”_blank” ]yujacha[/amazon_link]
- 1/4 cup [amazon_link id=”B007C639E4″ target=”_blank” ]soju[/amazon_link] (소주 soju)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon [amazon_link id=”B000SEKSKU” target=”_blank” ]ginger juice[/amazon_link]
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon [amazon_link id=”B004W71CJU” target=”_blank” ]Korean red pepper powder[/amazon_link] (ê³ ì¶”ê°€ë£¨ gochugaru)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken breasts with cold water. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt butter in small saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the yujacha and heat until bubbling. Add the soju and spices. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender, about 20 minutes more.
- If you don’t want to wait over an hour to eat dinner, you can cut the chicken into chopstick-friendly pieces, dredge them in seasoned flour and fry them until they’re crispy. Place the crispy chicken pieces into your yujacha sauce until they are coated. Serve with rice and banchan.
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