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Double Lemon Chicken

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Ingredients
  

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tbsp. water

For the Chicken:

  • 2 medium egg whites
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil, such as sunflower oil
  • 1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle
  • 1 tbsp. green onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice

For the Cheater's Preserved Lemon Paste:

  • 1 large unwaxed lemon, ends trimmed and discarded, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, seeds removed
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. flaky sea salt

For the Lemon Sauce:

  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1-½ tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 tbsp. caster or granulated sugar
  • ⅛ tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1-½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1-½ tbsp. cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice,
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

To prepare the egg wash:

  • In a small bowl, combine the egg and the water together and whisk vigorously until well combined and very smooth; add a bit more water if needed to thin out.

To prepare the chicken:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, soy sauce, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper until there aren’t any lumps; about 30 seconds.
  • Working one breast at a time, place the chicken between 2 pieces of parchment paper and use a meat mallet (or the bottom of a pan) to pound the chicken evenly so it’s a scant 1/2-inch thick.
  • Transfer to the egg white bowl and continue with the remaining pieces of chicken.
  • Stir everything together gently to coat; refrigerate to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight, if you prefer.

To prepare the preserved lemon paste:

  • Meanwhile, make the preserved lemon paste.
  • Add all the ingredients to a small, lidded saucepan, set over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the rinds start to look translucent and the juice has reduced by about half; set aside to cool slightly.
  • Transfer everything to a small food processor and blitz until you have a smooth, spreadable paste; you should have about 1/4 cup.
  • Set aside 3 tablespoons for the sauce, then store the rest in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

To prepare the sauce:

  • Add the 3 tablespoons preserved lemon paste, the stock, butter, garlic, sugar, turmeric and half the cumin to a medium saucepan; place it over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until reduced by about a third.
  • Measure out roughly 3 tablespoons of the sauce into a small bowl, then add the cornstarch and whisk until there are no lumps.
  • Whisk this back into the sauce pot and cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously, until smooth and thickened slightly.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Heat the oil, in a large high-sided frying pan, over a medium-high heat.
  • Once hot (a sprinkle of cornstarch dropped into the oil should sizzle right away), fry two of the chicken breasts for 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned and just cooked through.
  • It should release easily from the skillet with a little help from a metal spatula.
  • Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue with the remaining 2 breasts.
  • It might spit, so turn down the heat if needed.
  • Wipe out the frying pan, add the sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  • Add back all the chicken breasts and cook for just 3 minutes, gently turning them halfway.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Transfer the chicken breasts (cut them into strips, if you like) to a large serving platter with a lip and pour the sauce all over.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining cumin.
  • In a small bowl, toss together the spring onion, green onions and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice; spoon this all over.