·  Sesame-Crusted Chicken Strips
With Sweet And Sour Lemon Dipping Sauce

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Marinade
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 pound chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts

Sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Zest from 1 lemon

1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons untoasted sesame seeds
1 egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Cooking:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. If using chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Set aside.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil for deep-frying to 350 degrees F. Mix panko and sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip chicken strips into egg, drain briefly, then coat with panko mixture. As the chicken strips are coated, deep-fry chicken, a few strips at a time, turning once until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoonand drain on paper towels.
4. Place sauce over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Pour sauce into a bowl for dipping and serve with chicken.

Adapted from Quick & Easy by Martin Yan (Chronicle Books). Copyright © Yan Can Cook Group, 2005.