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1
Combine the cornstarch and beaten eggs in a bowl to form a thick batter. Add the chicken pieces and turn until each piece is fully coated. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so the batter adheres. The coating should cling to the chicken without running off.
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2
Heat the oil in a deep vessel to 175 °C. Working in batches, lower the battered chicken pieces into the oil and fry for 3–4 minutes until pale golden and just cooked through. Remove and drain on a rack. Allow the oil to return to temperature between batches. The pieces will be only lightly coloured at this stage — this is the first fry.
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3
Raise the oil temperature to 190 °C. Return the par-fried chicken to the oil in batches and fry for a further 1–2 minutes. This second fry is where the dish lives or dies: the crust must become deeply golden and audibly crisp — a firm tap against the side of the vessel should produce a hard, dry sound — driving off residual moisture so the pieces retain their crunch beneath the glaze.
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4
Combine the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a wide pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. The liquid should smell sharply of orange and allium with a clean acidic edge.
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5
Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens to a glaze consistency — it should coat a spoon and fall from it in a slow, glossy sheet rather than a thin stream. The sauce must coat, not pool.
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6
Add the double-fried chicken pieces to the glaze and toss immediately to coat. Each piece should be evenly lacquered; the sauce should cling rather than collect at the bottom of the pan. Serve at once — the glaze sets on the crust and the retained crunch is perceptible to the touch and under the tooth.