Baked Orange Chicken

Sofia left for Stanford on a Saturday in September. We drove her together — all four remaining members of the household, plus her two best friends from high school who rode in the second car with their parents. The campus is beautiful in the way that places built for serious people who want to do serious things are beautiful: purposeful, elegant, generous with its light. We carried boxes, assembled furniture, ordered dinner from a Thai place near campus. She hugged us at the car.

She hugged me last. She said, "I'll call every Sunday." I said I'd be there every Sunday. She said, "I know, Dad." The same sentence Diego used when he left. They learned it from the same house. The sentence means: I know you will show up. I know showing up is your language. I know you're not done being my parent just because I'm going. That's everything in four words.

The drive home was the four of us. The twins in the back, quieter than usual. Lisa next to me, watching the landscape. I drove. No one needed to say anything. By the time we got to Denver it was nearly midnight. I put the twins to bed and sat in the kitchen with Lisa. She put her hand on my arm. We didn't talk. Some losses are just losses for a while before they become something else. We sat in the kitchen and let it be what it was.

Green chile chicken enchiladas the next day. The meal that tastes like home. I made a big baking dish and the four of us ate every piece of it for dinner and I thought: this is still everything. Different than it was last year. Still everything.

Green chile enchiladas were what I made the day after — but this baked orange chicken is the one I keep coming back to when I need the kitchen to do the talking, when I need something warm and uncomplicated and generous enough to fill a baking dish meant for six even when there are only four of us now. It’s the same impulse: pull something out of the oven, set it in the middle of the table, watch it do its work. The twins finish their homework. Lisa pours water. The house is still the house.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, for garnish
Cooked white or brown rice, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Season the chicken. Pat chicken pieces dry, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
Make the orange sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and orange zest. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Thicken the sauce. Stir cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into the simmering sauce. Cook 2—3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
Coat and bake. Pour the orange sauce evenly over the chicken in the baking dish, turning pieces to coat. Bake uncovered for 35—40 minutes, basting once halfway through, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is caramelized at the edges.
Broil briefly (optional). For extra color, broil on high for 2—3 minutes at the end, watching closely to prevent burning.
Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving. Spoon over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Orange Chicken — The Dish That Holds What’s Still There