Recipe(tried): Braised Chicken with Lemon (Shanghai)

Susan,

You recipe looks good to me! Thanks for sharing it with everyone here! However, I have to point it out that lemon chicken is a creation from Shanghai (mild flavored dishes), not Hunan (tend to be hot and spicy, like it's neighbor, Szechuan). The magazine should check the origin of any ethnic recipe before printing it next time!!! ^_^

Anyway, This is my other version of lemon chicken which does not use a thick, puffy coating. Both recipes are equally popular in eastern and western culture. Some people like the crispy batter on the outside, and others prefer the lighter version that does not have a coating. (I don't mind either!!!^_^)

This lemon chicken isn't as easy to do and requires a bit more time... I thought to post it here as a comparason for interests. I hope you don't mind... ^_^
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Braised Chicken with Lemon (Shanghai Style)
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2 lb chicken (or 1 1/2 lb chicken pieces without bone)
2 T. light soy sauce
1 T. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 T. lemon juice
1 cup peanut oil (or other cooking oil for deep-frying)
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)

Sauce: (Very similar to your! But this produce a more sour sauce than yours!)
2 cups good chicken stock (watch out for the salt!)
3 spring onion (scallions) chopped
6 slices young, fresh (root)ginger, shredded
1 T. ketchup (or tomato sauce, but this will produce a more mellow flavor than ketchup. My personal choice will be ketchup.)
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. light brown sugar
1/2 t. salt

Clean the chicken and wash well. dry with paper towels, then place in a dish. Mix the soy sauce, rice wine and lemon juice together and rub over the hcickenm pouring the remainder inside the cavity. Cover and leave for 1 hour, turning once. (If using chcken pieces, "massage" the sauce into the meat and leatve it in the fridge for 1 hour before deep-fring.)

Heat the peanut oil in a wok and fry the chicken over moderate heat on all sides until golden, then transfer to a casserole. (Deep fry the chicken pieces until lightly golden. This will take less time than using a whole chicken.)

Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and add the sauce in gredients. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simer very gently for about 1 hour until the chicken is completely tender. (Also less time if using chicken pieces.)

Remove the chicken, drain and cut straight through the bones into serving portions. Arrange on a plate and place the sliced lemon in a line down the center of the back.

Rapidly boil the saice intil well reduced, then pour over the chicken and serve.