Orange-Sesame Chicken Skewers

📝 Ingredients

• 600 g chicken breast (4 fillets, about 150 g each)
• 2 oranges (zest of one, juice of both)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey (about 40 g)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornflour + 1 tbsp cold water
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (about 16 g)
• 280 g jasmine rice
• 1 head of broccoli (about 500 g)
• 2 spring onions
• Salt

🍴 Utensils

• 8 wooden skewers
• Mixing bowl
• Fine grater + citrus juicer
• 2 saucepans with lids + 1 small saucepan
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Pastry brush

📖 Steps

1. Wash one orange and remove its zest with the fine grater, avoiding the bitter white pith, then juice both oranges. In the mixing bowl, combine the juice, zest, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and the peeled, grated garlic. Soak the wooden skewers in cold water.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into even 3 cm cubes, add them to the marinade and mix well. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and no more than 12 hours: any longer and the orange juice makes the meat mealy.
3. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then put it in a saucepan with 450 ml water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for 12 minutes over a very low heat, then leave to stand, covered, for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
4. Preheat the oven grill. Drain the chicken, keeping the marinade, and thread the cubes onto the drained skewers, not packing them too tightly so they cook evenly. Arrange the 8 skewers on the tray lined with baking paper.
5. Dry-toast the sesame seeds for 2 minutes in the small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until golden, then set aside. Pour the marinade into the same pan with the cornflour mixed into the cold water and bring to the boil.
6. Let the marinade bubble for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it becomes a syrupy glaze that coats the spoon: boiling it makes it safe to use after its contact with the raw chicken. Remove from the heat and pour a third of the glaze into a bowl for serving.
7. Put the skewers 10 cm under the grill for 12 to 14 minutes, turning them halfway through and brushing each side with the glaze left in the pan. They're ready when nicely browned and the meat is white all the way through.
8. While they cook, cut the broccoli into small florets and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in a saucepan with 2 cm water, lid on, until tender but still bright green and slightly crunchy.
9. Finely slice the spring onions. Plate the rice and broccoli, add 2 skewers per person, spoon over the glaze reserved in the bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame and spring onions. Serve piping hot.