Lemon chicken is one my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants, so I wanted to try it to make it myself. I found several recipes for the dish, but it was hard to judge which one would be best. I settled on this one because it was specifically Cantonese.

The results were OK. The chicken was nice and crispy, not at all oily, but it had an off taste. My kids liked it anyway. The sauce was too sour for my taste, I wouldn't make it again. Mike, however, said he preferred it to that of restaurants because it was much lighter and not as sweet.

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Cantonese Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. water

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. sherry

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 1/2 Tbsp. All purpose flour

2 cups oil

For the lemon sauce

2 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. water

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

1 Tbsp. sherry

Instructions

Mix together the egg yolk, water, soy sauce, sherry and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Add the chicken, coat well and let stand for 10 minutes.

Sift 1/2 cup of cornstarch with the flour onto a plate. Coat each piece of the chicken with the cornstarch mixture.

Heat the oil in a wok on medium high heat, until it's gently boiling. Deep fry the chicken strips in batches, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain into paper towels. Set aside.

Prepare the lemon sauce. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water. Set aside.

Combine the lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. water, sugar, sesame seeds and sherry in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

Just before serving, reheat the oil in the wok. Add all the chicken strips and fry until very crisp and golden. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and dry with paper towels.

Serve accompanied by the sauce.

Adapted from a recipe at Asian Online Recipes