Orange Chicken with Sesame and Ginger

This lovely Indian-inspired chicken is spicy but not too spicy and smells great as it's baking. Give yourself time to let it marinate a bit and save some of the mango chutney to top a side of basmati rice.

1 cup mango-orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh mango chutney (recipe below)
3 tablespoons finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sesame seeds
7 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons butter

Combine the first 8 ingredients and whisk them together. Pour into a 9 x 13 lightly greased baking dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat each piece with sesame seeds. Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the chicken over high heat, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place the chicken in the baking dish, top with the marinade and let sit for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 400 and bake for 25 minutes until done.

I served it alongside 4 cup rice cooked in chicken broth with almond slices, green onions, salt, pepper and dash of ginger--topped with chutney remaining from the recipe below (much better than anything from a jar and very pretty).

Mango Chutney

1 10-12 ounce mango (though an extra half a mango doesn't hurt)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
black pepper to taste

Combine all the above ingredients in a microwave-proof bowl and mix it thoroughly. Cook 5-7 minutes on full power and allow to cool slightly before serving. It will keep up to a week in refrigerator.

Technorati tags: chicken, ginger, mango chutney, main dishes