Serves 3

Ingredients

For the Chicken
400 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
⅛ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 egg white
1 Tbsp cornflour
For the Cranberry Orange Sauce
3 Tbsp cranberry sauce
Juice of 1 large orange
Zest of 1 orange
A good pinch of salt
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2–3 Tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 Tbsp water
For the Vegetables
1 tsp neutral oil, for stir-frying
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunky pieces
1 small broccoli, lightly blanched
6–8 spring onion bulbs, cut into chunky matchsticks
1-inch piece ginger, minced
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1–2 bird’s-eye chillies, chopped
2 spring onions, green parts cut into matchsticks
1 tsp sesame oil, for garnish
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
1 tsp orange zest

METHOD

To velvet the chicken: Place the chicken in a bowl and add the baking soda. Massage it into the chicken and leave for 10–15 minutes. Add light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, garlic and black pepper. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. Add egg white and cornflour, and mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. For the Cranberry orange sauce: combine cranberry sauce, orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar and water. Mix well and set aside. To cook the chicken, heat a wok over high heat. Add about 1 tsp of neutral oil — a spray bottle makes it easy to distribute the oil evenly. Stir-fry the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the wok. Cook until lightly golden and just cooked through. Remove and set aside. To stir-fry the vegetables: add a little more oil to the wok.

Add red pepper, broccoli and spring onion bulbs. Stir-fry over high heat for 1–2 minutes, keeping the vegetables slightly crisp. Add ginger, garlic and chopped chilli and stir-fry briefly until fragrant. To bring everything together, pour cranberry-orange sauce into the hot wok and let it bubble for about a minute. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook until the sauce becomes glossy and lightly thickened. Return the chicken to the wok and toss everything together for 30–60 seconds, until the sauce lightly coats the chicken. Turn off the heat and add the spring onion greens, toasted sesame seeds, a light drizzle of sesame oil and a little fresh orange zest. Serve alongside brown rice.

Chef’s Tip: Don’t make the sauce too thick. You want it glossy and light enough to coat the chicken, rather than forming a heavy, sticky layer. The cranberry sauce provides sweetness and tartness, while fresh orange adds brightness. The red pepper, broccoli and spring onion bring freshness, color and crunch.