Image Source Fig. 1: Oranges & Orange Juice

Here is an orange stir-fry sauce that works really well with most white meats and there is no MSG in sight. It also serves very well as a dipping sauce for various meat and vegetable spring rolls.

Ingredients

• 1½ Cups of Pure Water
• 1 Cup of Packed Brown Sugar
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Ginger Root
• 1/3 Cup of Rice Vinegar
• ¼ Cup of Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup of Pure Water (to premix the cornstarch with prior to adding it to the rest of the sauce)
• 3 Tablespoons of Cornstarch
• 2½ Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I find that Kikkoman works best)
• 2 Tablespoons each of Orange Juice and Chopped Green Onion
• 1 Tablespoon of Grated Orange Zest
• ¼ Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

Method

1. Mince the garlic and ginger. It’s OK to use the already minced varieties if you don’t have any fresh ginger or garlic available. In this case you would use ½ to ¾ of a teaspoon of the processed ginger and/or garlic.
2. Combine the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and mix thoroughly
3. In a large saucepan or wok combine the 1½ cups of water with the rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice and orange juice. Then blend over a medium heat for a few minutes until it begins to simmer.
4. Then stir in the brown sugar, the orange zest, minced ginger, minced garlic and chopped green onions. Stirring continually bring this mix to a boil.
5. Give your cornstarch water mixture a quick stir and then slowly stir it into the rest of the orange sauce ingredients. Continue heating the orange stir-fry sauce until it thickens.
6. If you require the sauce to be a little more fluid then stir in a little extra water until desired thickness is attained

Note: It is important to make the sauce thickened and then thin rather than to make it runny from the get-go.

Serving:

One very popular use of an orange stir-fry sauce such as this is in the classical Chinese dish Orange Chicken where a hot and fairly thick orange stir-fry sauce is poured over deep fried battered and/or bread crumbed chicken pieces immediately the chicken is cooked and serve straight-away.

Orange stir-fry sauce is also used to partner other white meat dishes including poultry dishes and pork. One of the most notable poultry dishes being Orange Duck; which is often served as one of the main courses in a Chinese banquet of special significance such as weddings or festivals.

Image Source Fig. 2: Orange Blossoms & Fruit

You might also consider adding some red pepper flakes and green onion garnishing to whatever type of stir-fry you are using the orange stir-fry sauce with especially with bread crumbed deep fried chicken pieces served on a bed of steamed white rice. Wedges of fresh oranges are also typically used both as a garnishing and to add additional texture and fragrance to the dish.

Other common uses include as a sauce accompanying roast poultry and as a dipping sauce; especially for spring rolls and wantons.

Above all enjoy!