Orange Chicken

Seasaltwithfood's got tonnes of really tantalizing recipes. There are quite a few that I've bookmarked. This is the first to be tried. Fingers are crossed.

Ingredients:
6 Chicken legs with thighs
zest from 1 large-ish orange
Juice from said orange
3 stalks of green onions, finely sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbs chili flakes
1.5 tbs sugar
3 tbs soy sauce (ours was Lee Kum Kee double deluxe, which had some sugar in it)
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
0.5 tsp salt


Method:
Rinse chicken and pat dry.
In a bowl, mix together all other ingredients. Use half to marinate the chicken and set aside the rest.
Marinate 4-5 hours in the fridge, turning every hour to ensure even coating.

Preheat oven to 400F.
Place chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Turn and spoon on sauce and roast for another 25-30 minutes, until done.



Comments:
While making the marinade, I noticed that there was a bitter undertone. It disappeared after baking.
I did not have peanut oil, and it was still ok, although since I don't know how it's supposed to taste, that's really subjective.
Mine looked nothing like seasaltwithfood's. I suspect that in my race to use my oval roasting pan, I conveniently forgot that chicken releases juice while cooking. It would've been better to use the roasting rack. Next, I think the marinade was too chunky and liquidy. Next time, I will try pounding it with the mortar and pestle to get a paste. That way, I can also grind in some peanuts to substitute for the peanut oil. But, I'd need to let the stuff sit for a bit so the chili flakes have a chance to rehydrate before grinding.



Verdict:
Fail at being orange chicken, but good for something to have with rice. The sweet ginger taste was nice.