Poultry Placeholders

When planning a menu, there are the stars of the show — a big Yom Tov meat, a dressed-up dessert, a 42-braid challah. Then there are the foundational items, like chicken, without which the meal would be lacking. Here are the chicken recipes we make that taste like Yom Tov in our homes!

Chinese Lemon Chicken

I originally created this recipe for Pesach, but my kids ask me to make it every Yom Tov, so it’s become a year-round favorite!

CHICKEN

• oil, for frying
• 6 chicken breasts, cut into finger-size pieces
• 1 cup potato starch

LEMON SAUCE

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 3 Tbsp potato starch
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 cube frozen garlic
• ¹⁄₂ tsp minced ginger (or more to taste), or 2 cubes frozen ginger
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ²⁄₄ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp apricot jam

Heat oil in a wok or a deep pot. Dredge each chicken finger in the potato starch and fry in oil until done, about 5–8 minutes, depending on the size of the fingers. Remove and set on a strainer to

let excess oil drip off. (It’s best to fry in batches of 4–6, so as not to lower the temperature of the oil too much.)