Mandarin chicken — a quick recipe with proper citrus

There are recipes born out of the need to get something on the table quickly — and that end up becoming a fixture. This is one of those. Chicken breast with mandarin sauce, a touch of soy and paprika. Ready in twenty minutes, with a faintly Asian quality that rather wins you over. Works just as well on an ordinary Tuesday as when you have people round.

The trick is the mandarin. Not an extract or artificial flavouring: the juice of two fresh mandarins from Valencia, squeezed on the spot. The difference between a mandarin picked ripe and one from cold storage shows in the dish. Considerably.

Ingredients

For two:

— Half a chicken breast, cut into cubes
— Salt and pepper to taste
— 1 tablespoon olive oil
— 2 medium mandarins (juice and, if you like, a little zest)
— 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey
— 1 tablespoon soy sauce
— 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
— 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
— Sweet paprika to taste
— A splash of water (about 50 ml)

Step by step

1. Prepare the chicken. Cut the breast into roughly two-centimetre cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Brown it. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides until cooked through and nicely coloured. About 5–6 minutes.

3. Make the sauce. While the chicken browns, squeeze the two mandarins. Mix the juice with the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, chopped garlic, paprika and water. If you have a stick blender, you can blitz the mandarins whole (without peel) to keep all the pulp.

4. Reduce. Pour the mixture over the browned chicken. Lower the heat to medium and let the sauce reduce for 2–3 minutes, stirring. It should become thick, glossy, clinging to the chicken.

5. Serve. Goes well with basmati rice, brown rice or couscous. The sauce with the rice — that is the best part of the whole thing.

Cook's notes

You can make this with orange instead of mandarin. The result is less sweet and slightly more tart — works perfectly well too. The juice of one orange will do.

If you want more citrus intensity, add a teaspoon of mandarin zest at the end, off the heat. The aroma multiplies.

Children tend to take to this dish without fuss. The sauce is mild, gently sweet, and nothing is remotely spicy unless you go overboard with the paprika.

If you would like to know more about the history of the mandarin and why Valencian ones taste different, have a look at our article on the mandarin's journey from China.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with supermarket mandarins?

It does, but the result is not the same. A mandarin picked ripe has more juice, more aroma and more natural sweetness. The difference is most noticeable in the sauce, where the mandarin plays the lead role.

How long does it keep?

In the fridge, in a sealed container, a good two days. Reheat in a pan over low heat. The microwave works too, though the chicken loses a little texture.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, but ideally freeze the chicken with the sauce before it has fully reduced. When reheating, the sauce finishes thickening and the result is rather better.

Does it work with other citrus fruit?

Orange works very well, as mentioned above. With lime and a little coriander it becomes an entirely different dish — more Thai in character. Worth experimenting.