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1
To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan; whisk to blend well.
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2
Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large zipper lock plastic bag.
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3
Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well.
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4
Refrigerate and let marinate 30-60 minutes, but no longer.
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5
Place the saucepan with the remaining mixture on the stove and heat over medium-high heat.
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6
Bring to a simmer.
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7
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
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8
Add the mixture to the saucepan with the sauce.
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9
Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute.
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10
Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.
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11
To prepare the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and whisk until frothy.
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12
In a second pie plate combine the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne pepper; whisk to blend.
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13
Drain the chicken of the marinade in a colander or large strainer; pat dry with paper towels.
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14
Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat.
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15
Transfer the pieces to the cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess.
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16
Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
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17
To fry the chicken, heat the oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or straight-sided saute pan until the oil reaches 350F Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through cooking.
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18
Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
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19
Return the oil to 350 F and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
