Lemon Chicken
Source: James Lor
Yield: 6 servings

3 chicken breasts, whole

MARINADE
1/4 cup water
1 tb dry sherry
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch Chinese five-spice seasoning

BATTER
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 ts baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp vegetable oil

LEMON SAUCE
1 lemon
1 cup water
1/2 cup rose's lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
cornstarch
vegetable oil for deepfrying
cornstarch paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup lettuce, shredded
lemon slices
maraschino cherries halves

Lightly score both sides of chicken breast making a crisscross pattern. Combine marinade ingredients with chicken, let stand for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, place batter ingredients except oil. Using a whisk, beat continuously until the consistency of heavy cream is reached. Stir in oil, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Cut lemon into fourths, squeeze juice (discarding seeds) into a saucepan, dropping lemon into pan as well. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, remove and set aside.

To deep-fry, remove chicken from marinade and lightly coat with cornstarch. Heat 4 cups of oil in a wok to 275 - 300. Coat chicken in batter, draining off excess. Lower into wok by sliding pieces down the side, deep-fry for 3 - 4 minutes (about 80% done) until a crust is formed. remove and drain. This could be done in advance.

Reheat lemon sauce, stir in 2 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch paste and cook until thickened. stir in 1 tablespoon oil, keep warm.

To deep-fry again, raise oil temperature in wok to 350, discarding any pieces of batter from the first frying. Add chicken, all at once, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove and drain.

To serve, place lettuce on a large serving platter. Cut chicken into 4 pieces crosswise and place on lettuce bed. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices and cherries.

The chicken should be crunchy on the outside yet juicy and tender on the inside. The first frying when the oil temperature is lower, actually cooks the chicken and causes a crust to form on the outside.

The second frying at a higher temperature is what produces that special crunchy crust. The lemon sauce should have a sharp tangy taste and be the consistency of syrup. Lemon sauce stores beautifully in the fridge.