I used to fill our dining room table (sometimes adding a leaf) with appetizers and desserts for our parties. I planned for weeks and cooked for days. Some people thought I was crazy (and maybe I was), but they were sure to come.
This is a recipe I always made because it was easy and popular. I often doubled or tripled it, serving bite-size pieces with a bowl of my own sauce made from apricot preserves and Dijon mustard.
The recipe is from The Book of Appetizers by June Budgen. The cookbook is one in a series of single-topic books put out by HPBooks years ago that are now really cheap on Amazon.com (Fish, Sauces, Desserts, Chicken, Garnishes, etc.)
It also makes a fine entree, with or without the sauce.
Sesame Chicken
1 lb. skinned, boned chicken breast, cut in long strips about an inch wide
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. dry (or other) sherry
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. shredded or minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
Fresh Italian parsley for garnish (optional)
Sauce (or use plum sauce or chutney):
1/2 to 3/4 cup apricot preserves (use peach in a pinch)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Mix marinade ingredients, salt through Chinese five spice, in large baggie or in a non-reactive bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat evenly. Marinate in fridge 2 to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken in a ceramic, glass or other non-reactive pan. Pour marinade over. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, till no longer pink in the center of the thickest piece (cut to test).
Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard into the apricot preserves, adjusting to taste.
Cut cooked chicken into bite-size pieces if serving as an appetizer and serve warm or cold with chutney, plum sauce or the apricot mustard sauce. Makes about 24 pieces.
Leave a Reply