Sriracha is by far my favorite condiment. Whether I am cooking with it or using it in place of ketchup I absolutely love it. Take out orange chicken from the local Chinese restaurant was the inspiration for this dish and the sriracha takes it up a notch. There is no need to order take out when this dish comes together in the same thirty minutes it would take for the delivery guy to knock on your door.
Start by heating two tablespoons of sesame oil in a large skillet. Cut one pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Coat in corn starch seasoned with chili pepper, white pepper and salt. My favorite method for this is to shake the chicken pieces around with the corn starch mix in a ziplock bag.
While the chicken is browning, cut up one small bunch of asparagus into small pieces. Take advantage of the delicious fresh asparagus while it is in season.
When the chicken is browned, but not quite cooked through add in the asparagus pieces and continue sautéing. The chicken will take approximately fifteen minutes to brown nicely.
While the chicken and asparagus are cooking through, it is time to whisk the sauce together. It will take an additional five minutes or so for them to cook through. In addition to sriracha, garlic and ginger add flavor to the sauce.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the zest and juice of two oranges, two tablespoons (more or less depending on how much heat you want) of sriracha, four tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of mirin, six cloves garlic grated and a one inch piece of ginger grated. Whisk together until well combined.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and asparagus. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and simmer.
It will not take long for the sauce to thicken. Five minutes or so is all it will take. The dish is ready when the sauce is thickened up.
All you need to do now is plate it up! I served it over red quinoa but it would be equally delicious over rice or noodles.