Mandarin Chicken



So much was lost when Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Lives, homes, jobs,... but also the little things that we hold dear to our hearts: photo albums, treasured heirlooms or beloved recipes. The Times-Picayune collected and published some of the latter that people went looking for in the years that followed Katrina. Mandarin Chicken was one of these recipes. 
This clipping was sent to us by my partner's stepmother a few years ago. Since then, we have received nearly a hundred requests to share this recipe.
Note: Every Chinese restaurant in New Orleans has its own version of Mandarin sauce. It seems to us that this one needs a few pinches of Chinese five spice in the sauce. Also, it is usually served with crushed peanuts and chopped scallions sprinkled on top.
This recipe comes from Fong's Chinese restaurant in Kenner.


MANDARIN CHICKEN

Egg Batter
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 eggs
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Accent
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 drops yellow food coloring
2 cups water

Mix all ingredients in the two cups of water and let it sit at room temperature for four hours, then refrigerate.

Gravy
2 cups oil
1 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Accent
3 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet

Heat oil and add flour: cook until brown. Add all other ingredients and simmer.

To complete
Deboned chicken parts
Deep fat for frying
Chopped green onions

Dip deboned chicken parts into batter and drop in deep fat (325 degrees) and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place on a bed of lettuce topped with gravy and chopped green onions.


Comments

  1. Im so glad i found this recipe thanks

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  2. I almost cried seeing this. Being from Metairie (a New Orleans suburb) and living in the UK sometimes gets to me, but getting recipes from home lets me feel like I'm balanced again. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. The recipe calls for 2 cups of Oil and 1 cup of flour. It needs to be changed to 1 cup Oil and 1 cup Flour. I made it as the recipe calls and way too much oil.

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    2. It’s also missing the secret ingredient. The ingredient that gives the gravy its signature flavor: tarragon.

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  3. This recipe is great. I made it and it came out wonderfully. I was trying to recreate Chinese Kitchen on Carrollton b/c I don't think it is the same since they opened post-K. The prices sure aren't!

    I took the advice to add a bit of five spice and it helped. But I think next time I might try adding a bit of hoisin just to give it a more "peanuty" flavor like CK has.

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  4. Thank You so much for getting this recipe. There is no place like New Orleans to eat !!!

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  5. My husband tried making this tonight & the gravy turned out to be an awful greasy mess...has anyone else had this problem? Normally with a roux, your flour to oil ratio is 1 to 1, could that be the issue? Just curious bc he was SO disappointed it didn't turn out. Thx

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    Replies
    1. Just discovered your post. It actually turned out well for us, with the addition of five-spice as stated. No greasy mess here, sorry. Worth another try

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  6. 2 cups oil to one of flour does sound very greasy--more than I want in my body

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