Today is the Chinese New Year of the Dragon

Empress Sesame Chicken

• 1 cup chicken meat, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 teaspoon white wine
• dash of salt

Mix all the above ingredients together. Set aside.

Tempera batter

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• Mix together all the tempera ingredients and mix until smooth. Dip chicken into batter and fry in hot oil (med. High heat) in a wok. Fry until chicken is golden brown and tender. Takes about 5-8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Empress Sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup catsup
• 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup water

Combine the above ingredients except cornstarch mixture, together in a wok and cook over a medium high heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook until thickened. 

Vegetable Garnish

• 1 cup broccoli flowerets
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Stir-fry broccoli in a tablespoon of oil over a medium high heat for a few minutes. Add carrots and stir-fry for three more minutes. Add in water chestnuts. 
Combine chicken and sauce with vegetables and toss.
Transfer to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds.  Makes 4 servings.