Celebrating Orange with #SundaySupper: Sichuan Style Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Shades of tangerine and hues of crimson paint the canvas of the autumn season. As summer gradually fades into autumn, the warm tinges of all our natural surroundings help to brighten the day. Alas! lucky are those who witness all four seasons in their full mastery, unlike me who lives so close to the equator that it is summer all year round. The only orange color that I get to soak in is the glaring rays of the sun that ferociously beat down upon the sprawling palm trees of Malaysia. Hence, I could not resist but to join this week’s #SundaySupper theme that celebrates the colors of autumn; my way of feeling that autumn has indeed arrived. With Halloween fast approaching too, the wet markets (local fruits, vegetable and meat market) in Kuala Lumpur are filled with layers of orange beauties; pumpkins, oranges, tangerines, butternut squash, carrots don the stalls making it a sight for sore eyes to go shopping. Last week, one vendor made me try the sweetest oranges with a kick of sourness right at the end. They were so juicy that I ended up picking about 15 pieces, with the intention of eating all of them on their own.

As the juice of the orange dripped while I devoured it, it gave me an idea to use some of the oranges to create a dish perfect for this week’s #SundaySupper. Using the juice as a base, I decided to embark upon a journey to create a Sichuan style orange glazed chicken. Most people associate Sichuan style cuisine with hot peppers, however that is actually not true. A province in China, Sichuan became popular due to the abundance of food and natural resources there, hence termed “heavely country”. However, their style of cooking was about striking a balance between sweet, sour, bitter, salty, aromatic and hot. As a result the flavors were always aromatic but mild. In fact it was the South Americans who introduced chili peppers in Sichuan, which have now become a staple in all commercial Sichuan dishes. Trying to stick to the roots of this style of cooking, I wanted to this dish to be mild and aromatic rather than spicy, hence the need for a generous portion of sweet orange juice. Sesame paste is very popular in Sichuan recipes, but to add my own twist I used toasted sesame seeds for a nutty flavor.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken fillets
• Juice of 2 large oranges or 5 tbsp boxed juice
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup cornflour
• 1 tsp orange peel

Preparation:

• Dice the chicken fillets into 2 inch pieces and set aside
• Make the marinade by mixing the orange juice, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, orange peel and white pepper
• Add the chicken pieces, mix to coat completely, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
• Meanwhile, add the sesame seeds to a hot pan and toast till they turn golden brown. A nutty aroma should emanate suggesting they are done
• When you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving it, and place it into another bowl
• Sprinkle the cornflour generously to coat the pieces of chicken in their entirety
• Heat the sesame oil in a wok. Once it starts to bubble, add the chicken pieces and stir fry till golden brown
• Lower the heat and add the marinade along with half the sesame seeds
• As the sauce begins to thicken and starts to stick to the chicken pieces, take it off the heat
• Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and serve

To enjoy more delectable treats that celebrate all things orange do visit the links below for inspiration.

Sunrise  (Breakfast and Brunch)

Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes is bringing her Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Kris from In The Kitchen with Audrey and Maureen  is making her Sweet Potato Pancakes

Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze

Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs

Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade

Claire from The Realistic Nutritionist is baking up some Spiced Low-Fat Pumpkin Biscuits

Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spice Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal

Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter

Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing

 

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup

Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup

Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Sweet Potato Salad

Megan from I Run For Wine is making Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup With Adult Grilled Cheese

Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad

Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Spiced Sweet Potato Cider Soup

Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup

Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad

 

Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites  is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce

Pam from The Meltaways is making some Spooky Stuffed Peppers

Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey

Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle

Elizabeth from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle is making Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Shallot Butter

Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters

Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew

Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken

Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce

Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar

 

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce

Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles

Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa

Anne from Webicurean  is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread

Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole

Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls

Bree from Bree’s Bites is bringing Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites

Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise

Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze

Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake

Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread Reisipe

Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake

Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Pumpkin Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Laura from Family Spice is making some Gluten Free and Unprocessed Pumpkin Bread

Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies

Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies

Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

Sandra from Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries

 

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.

We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes featuring our favorite fall color.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.