Serves 4
1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup milk
Few tbsp flour or cornstarch
3-4 tbsp oil
¾ cup water (reserve 1 tbsp to dilute cornstarch)
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger (or a little more to taste), peeled and finely chopped
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp sesame oil
Roasted sesame seeds
Cut meat into cubes and place them in bowl; add milk to cover and let stand for about 20 minutes (or longer if refrigerated); drain the cubes without drying them.
Coat cubes liberally with flour or cornstarch.
Pour oil into a non-stick frying pan and sauté the meat cubes over medium-high heat until they are well cooked and crusty (approximately 10 minutes); remove to a bowl.
Mix the tbsp of water with the tbsp of cornstarch; pour this mixture and the rest of water into the pan; stir in the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, pepper flakes and ginger; keep stirring and quickly bring the mixture to a boil to thicken the sauce. The heat of the peppers is offset by the sweetness of the honey.
Add sesame oil, taste the sauce and add soy sauce and crushed peppers to taste if needed.
Gently incorporate the meat cubes to coat them with the sauce and to re-heat them.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds.