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    When we ate out at our local Chinese restaurant we would order three entrees and one was always lemon chicken. It's very light, fresh, and simple and a nice foil to other dishes. It's just a chicken tender pounded to 1/4 inch, breaded and fried. It's served on a bed of sliced iceberg lettuce with a lemon sauce. Sadly, the restaurant didn't survive the Covid pandemic, so we made our own. This recipe is simple and works well.

                   Chinese Lemon Chicken
                            Bill and Carol
chicken tenders
unflavored bread crumbs
2 eggs      2 Tbs whole milk   
4 Tbs flour      2 Tbs cornstarch
                 lemon sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs + 1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water      1 Tbs lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs butter

Instructions

First make the lemon sauce. In a small sauce pan mix sugar and cornstarch. Slowly add the water whisking and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add juice, zest, and butter, whisking until smooth. 

Brine chicken for 1/2 hour in 1 qt. water and 1/4 cup salt. While brining set up three dredge stations. In the first add the cornstarch and flour, in the second the eggs and milk, and in the third the breadcrumbs.

After brining rinse chicken tenders to remove excess salt. If preferred remove the white tendon. Pound to no more than 1/4 inch. After coating in all three stations rest in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. That will set the coating so it doesn't come off when frying.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a large skillet until it just starts to smoke (350F). Chicken should be properly cooked when browned. If checking temperature 160F is perfect. 

Serve on a bed of sliced lettuce with white rice.