General Tso's Chicken
Chinese restaurants here in England don't have General Tso's chicken, but whenever we'd eat out for Chinese in the States, my boyfriend had to get this. He loves it, so I had to find a recipe. :-)
I tried this recipe from Recipezaar. It was wonderful! My boyfriend said it was better than the stuff we got at restaurants.
General Tso's Chicken
1 lb chicken thighs, boned and cubed [I used chicken breast.]
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup cornstarch, plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried chili pods [I used six little dried whole chilies.]
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the ½ cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat. If the mixture is too thick, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces. In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.
First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400 degrees). Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through. Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).
Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok. Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.
The General's Favorite Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.
I tried this recipe from Recipezaar. It was wonderful! My boyfriend said it was better than the stuff we got at restaurants.
General Tso's Chicken
1 lb chicken thighs, boned and cubed [I used chicken breast.]
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup cornstarch, plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried chili pods [I used six little dried whole chilies.]
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the ½ cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat. If the mixture is too thick, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces. In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.
First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400 degrees). Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through. Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).
Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok. Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.
The General's Favorite Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.