June 1, 2013

Lemon Chicken

Posted by HI Cookery under 06 June | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

June: National Lemon Month

Many cultures have their own version of boneless meat, which is coated in seasoned flour/breadcrumbs/batter, then fried or baked, and accompanied with gravy or sauce. Lemon chicken from L&L Drive-Inn, a popular chain restaurant in Hawaii and in select spots around the world, is one of Islander and her brother’s favorite deep fried chicken dishes with a tangy sweet lemon sauce.

During our undergraduate years in Hawaii, we would walk down our hilly campus to the L&L restaurant and treat ourselves to a cheap lunch or dinner when we did not want to eat cafeteria food or cook in our dorm kitchen. When we first ordered the lemon chicken, it looked like a giant, sliced chicken nugget with a sunny yellow dipping sauce on the side. As simple as the entrée was, we just loved the lemon sauce! It really is what makes the chicken a delicious dish.

For National Lemon Month, make lemon chicken for a local-style plate lunch.

Recipe

(Adapted from L&L Drive-Inn via the Star-Bulletin Archives)

For the chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken (we used thinly sliced chicken breast meat)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon (we crushed a bouillon cube)
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Pound the chicken meat to ¼-inch thickness or cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside and make the marinade. In a large glass bowl, mix together the water and vegetable oil. Blend in the cornstarch and flour. Stir in the egg. Season with salt, bouillon, white pepper and garlic powder.

Lemon Chicken

Mix to make a smooth batter. Coat the chicken in the marinade and leave for at least two hours. Deep fry the chicken in 350-degree oil until golden brown (5 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Lemon Chicken

For the lemon sauce

  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white vinegar (we used cane sugar vinegar)
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • small piece of ginger, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon of yellow food coloring
  • slices of lemon

Directions

In a measuring cup, make a slurry by dissolving the cornstarch in lemon juice. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine the water, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil.

Lemon Chicken

Add the ginger, lemon extract and a few slices of lemon. Tint with yellow food coloring. Slowly stir in the cornstarch-lemon juice mixture until thickened and smooth. Discard the ginger. Serve the sauce on the side with the lemon chicken.

Lemon Chicken

Notes

  • The lemon sauce may be made ahead of time and re-heated. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
  • This lemon chicken is a Chinese-influenced recipe. There are other lemon chicken recipes inspired by international ingredients.
  • Serve L&L Drive-Inn lemon chicken with scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Onolicious!
  • For another fruit-flavored sauce with chicken, try the recipe for honey orange glazed chicken listed in our September archives (National Chicken Month).
  • Love lemons? Search our blog for more lemon recipes.
 

November 29, 2012

Lemon Cream Pie

Posted by HI Cookery under 11 November | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie

November 29: National Lemon Cream Pie Day

Islander loves the lemon fresh taste in cakes. So naturally she likes them in pies, too. Although pumpkin, pecan, apple and sweet potato pies are popular during the current season, lemon cream pie is a nice alternative. The sweet-tart citrus flavor, smooth velvety texture and fluffy whipped cream topping bring to mind sunny and warm days. Make someone’s upcoming holidays happy with a pie and make lemon cream pie on National Lemon Cream Pie Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

For the lemon pie

  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (5-6 lemons)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pie crust (we used a graham cracker crust)

Directions

Juice the lemons and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar. Stir in the sour cream. Add the lemon juice.

Lemon Cream Pie

Mix in the salt and blend well. Pour into the pie crust. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. The middle of the filling will still jiggle slightly. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare the cream topping.

Lemon Cream Pie

For the whipped cream topping

  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • lemon peel curls (optional garnish)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the lemon cream pie. Or fill a pastry bag with a decorating tip and pipe designs on top of the pie. Garnish with lemon peel curls (optional). Chill the pie for at least another hour before slicing and serving.

Lemon Cream Pie

Notes

  • If using a frozen pre-made pie shell, bake it in the oven according to the directions on the package until golden brown. Cool before filling.
  • Do not worry if the lemon filling cracks during baking. They will be covered in cream and still taste delicious.
  • The cream topping ingredients yield a generous amount. Feel free to half the recipe to cover/decorate the lemon cream pie.
 

March 29, 2012

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , |
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Lemon Chiffon Cake

Lemon Chiffon Cake

March 29: National Lemon Chifffon Cake Day

We recently blogged about lemon macarons to welcome the spring season. Their sunshine yellow color and fresh lemon scent brighten up our days when it is cloudy or when there are spring showers. Likewise, during Lent, we like to eat a light dessert, such as lemon chiffon cake. The zesty glaze enhances the fruit’s flavor of this simple, citrusy treat.

Make lemon chiffon cake with lemon butter glaze to celebrate spring, a love for lemons and National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from AllRecipes.com)

For the lemon chiffon cake

  • 1 ¾ cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 6 eggs, divided use
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Zest and juice one lemon. Separate the eggs, reserving the yolks and whites. In a bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder and ½ cup of sugar. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add the vegetable oil, water and lemon zest and mix well.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Stir the lemon extract in the batter. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Fold a portion of the egg whites into the batter and gently blend well. Continue folding in the egg whites until the batter is evenly mixed. Put the batter in an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Remove the cake from the oven and invert the tube pan with the cake still in it. Allow it to cool completely. Loosen the edges with a spatula to remove the cake. Brush away any crumbs and place on a wire rack. Prepare the glaze.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

For the lemon butter glaze

(Adapted from Wilton)

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon grate lemon zest
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the lemon zest. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Mix in the fresh lemon juice and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Use immediately on the cake before it hardens.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Pour the glaze on the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the sides. Quickly spread the glaze around the sides of the cake (optional). Allow the glaze to set/harden before slicing the cake.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Notes

  • We love the lemony butter glaze a lot! So in addition to drizzling it on top of the cake, we iced the sides as well to get the full flavor of the citrus all over.
  • Look for more lemon recipes on our blog.

 

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