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Lemon Chicken: Chinese Restaurants’ Recipe
Lemon Chicken: Chinese Restaurants’ Recipe reads citrus 6.9, sourness 6.2 and fruity 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese main, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 6.2 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 6.9 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 8.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 0.7 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 3.6 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 1.5 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Citrus 6.9 · Sourness 6.2 · Fruity 5.6 · Umami 5.5 · Sweetness 4.4 · Salinity 4.4 · Richness 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 2.5 · Floral 1.4 · Herbaceous 0.8 · Nutty 0.6 · Bitterness 0.6 · Earthy 0.5
What's in it (11)
- 6 chicken fillets large
- soy sauce
- salt
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 1/8 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- cooking oil
- 5 5/8 tablespoons sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 slices lemon
Time & effort: about 54 min (24 min active) · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 102.4 kcal, 4.1 g protein, 3.3 g fat, 15.5 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (6 steps)
- Marinate the chicken in a small bowl with enough soy sauce to cover the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Mix the beaten egg with the baking soda and half of the cornstarch. Coat the marinated chicken with this mixture.
- Fry the chicken in very hot oil, remove the excess oil with absorbent paper.
- Add the sugar, lemon juice, chicken broth, and the remaining cornstarch in a blender. Add salt to taste and puree until smooth.
- In a saucepan, cook the sauce along with the lemon slices on low heat.
- Place the chicken in the lemon sauce to finish cooking, about 5 minutes.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Easy Greek-Inspired Salad — Greek
- Lemon-Basil Orzotto — Italian
- German Meat Balls — German
- Sheet-Pan Greek Chicken with Potatoes — Greek
- Fettuccine Alfredo — Italian
Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.