*********************** General Tso's chicken *********************** (Fast & Easy Oriental Wok Cooking, by Jacqueline Heriteau) Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 large chicken legs Vegetable oil 1 egg 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil Sauce 1: 2 green onions 1.5 tbsps light soy sauce 1.5 tbsps mushroom soy sauce 1.5 tbsps rice wine or dry sherry 2 .5 inch piece fresh ginger grinding of fresh pepper 3 tbsps chicken bouillon 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tbsp cornstarch Sauce 2: 1 tsp rice or cider vinegar 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) .5 tbsp chili paste (more if you like hot food) Method: Bone and cut the chicken into .5 inch pieces, combine it with the egg, oil and cornstarch. Combine the ingredients for Sauce 1. Warm 2 serving dishes, one lined with paper towel, in a 250 degree oven. Fill a wok to a depth of 1.5-2 inches with oil, heat to high (400deg), or a day-old cube of bread browns in just under a minute. Heat for another 4 mins. Put the chicken pieces in the oil, then stir fry for 3 mins. Remove the chicken, and keep warm in the paper-lined dish in the oven. Empty the oil from the wok, reduce the heat to medium (350deg) and stir in Sauce 1. As soon as it bubbles, stir in the chicken. Sprinkle sauce 2 over the chicken, stir fry for another minute, then turn into the warm serving dish. Scrape the sauce over the chicken, and serve at once. ********************* General Tso's Chicken ********************* 1/2 cup cornstarch 3 pounds dark deboned chicken meat 1/4 cup water cut into large chunks 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp white pepper 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 cup salad oil 1 1/2 cups hot chick broth 2 cups scallions, diced 1 tsp M.S.G. (optional) 16 small dried hot peppers To make sauce, mix cornstarch and water together. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and wine. Then add chicken broth and MSG and stir until sugar disolves. Refrigerate until needed. In separate bowl, mix chicken, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in egg. Add cornstarch until chicken is coated evenly. Add oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add scallions and peppers and stirfry briefly. Stir sauce; add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens. Add either cornstarch or water as needed. Serve with rice. Serves 6-8. ********************* General Tso's Chicken ********************* Quoting from the article the recipe was contained in, "The dish is not difficult to make and can be prepared partially in advance. The crunch texture of the chicken pieces is achieved by coating them with egg and cornstarch, then deep-frying them twice - once to cook them through and once at a higher temperature to make them brown and crisp. The velvety sweet-sour sauce, which is combined with the chicken at the last minute, provides a wonderful counterpoint. The amount of heat is your option. Sixteen small dried red peppers provide a moderate amount of heat. Add more or less to taste, but be careful not to bite into one. They are dynamite!" Chicken: 1 lb boned, skinned chicken (thigh or breast) into 2 inch chunks 4 to 5 green onions, cut diagonally into 1" pieces 1 egg 1 tbsp cornstarch Vegetable oil about 16 small dried chilis 1 Clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger Sauce: 4 tsp cornstarch 4 tsp sugar 4 tsp rice vinegar 6 tbsp soy sauce 1/4 C chicken broth 1/4 C water 1/4 C dry sherry wine Whisk together thoroughly the egg and cornstarch. Add pieces of chicken, turning to coat evenly. In wok or deep-fat fryer, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 F. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time until lightly browned and just cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Combine sauce ingredients, mixing well. Set aside. (The chicken may be fried the first time up to one hour in advance; the sauce can be combined several days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.) In frying pan, heat 1 TBSP of oil until hot. Add chili peppers and cook until blackened. Add onions and stir-fry about one minute. Add garlic and ginger, cooking briefly, but do not brown. Remove from heat. Reheat deep oil to 400 F. Return chicken to fat, in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Re-stir sauce and add to frying pan with onions and peppers. Cook, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until well coated and heated through. Serve over rice. Makes 3 to 4 servings. ********************* General Tso's Chicken ********************* Following is yet another recipe for General Tso's chicken. The seasoning sauce is the tricky part of the dish. Instead of thickening with corn starch as in most Chinese dishes, it is necessary to caramelize the mixture, as in making candy. I suspect some restaurants use honey as the sweetener in the sauce instead of sugar. Ingredients: 2 whole chicken breasts 1 orange rind, minced 2+ hot peppers, crushed 1 tbsp ginger, minced 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/3 cup fried peanuts, chopped Batter: Seasoning sauce: 1 egg 6 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup beer 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 5 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking powder dash of pepper 1-3) Skin and bone the chicken. Cut into 1-1/2" x 2" strips. Mix batter. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat. Cover and chill for 1/2 hour. Mix seasoning sauce. 4) Coat each piece of chicken well with cornstarch. Arrange chicken on well-floured wax paper. 5) Heat 2-3" of oil in a pan until very hot. Fry chicken for 30 seconds. Drain well on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels. 6) Reheat oil over high heat until very hot. Refry chicken until crispy and golden brown. Drain again and keep hot in oven. 7) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok over medium heat. Fry orange rind until golden brown. Add chili and ginger, stir-frying 20 seconds. Mix in seasoning sauce and heat to boil, stirring constantly until foam subsides and the sauce thickens slightly and turns to glaze (about 2 minutes or more). Add fried chicken, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. ********************* General Tso's Chicken ********************* 1 egg Sauce 1 TBSP cornstarch 1 lb boned, skinned chicken cut from 4 tsp cornstarch thigh or breast into 2 inch chuncks 4 tsp sugar Vegetable oil 4 tsp rice vinegar About 16 small dried hot red chili peppers 6 TBSP soy sauce 4 to 5 green onions, cut 1/4 C chicken broth diagonally into 1" pieces 1/4 C water 1 Clove garlic, finely minced 1/4 C dry sherry wine 1/4 tsp grated fresh gingerroot Whisk together thoroughly the egg and cornstarch. Add pieces of chicken, turning to coat evenly. In wok or deep-fat fryer, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 F. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time until lightly browned and just cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Combine sauce ingredients, mixing well. Set aside. (The chicken may be fried the first time up to one hour in advance; the sauce can be combined several days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.) In frying pan, heat 1 TBSP of oil until hot. Add chili peppers and cook until blackened. Add onions and stir-fry about one minute. Add garlic and ginger, cooking briefly, but do not brown. Remove from heat. Reheat deep oil to 400 F. Return chicken to fat, in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Re-stir sauce and add to frying pan with onions and peppers. Cook, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until well coated and heated through. Serve over rice. Makes 3 to 4 servings. General Tso's Chicken 1/2 cup cornstarch 3 pounds dark deboned chicken meat cut into large chunks 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp white pepper 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 cup salad oil 1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth 2 cups scallions, diced 16 small dried hot peppers To make sauce, mix cornstarch and water together. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and wine. Then add chicken broth and M.S.G. and stir until sugar disolves. Refrigerate until needed. In separate bowl, mix chicken, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in egg. Add cornstarch until chicken is coated evenly. Add oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add scallions and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir sauce; add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens. Add either cornstarch or water as needed. Serve with rice. Serves 6 - 8. General Tso's Chicken 1 egg Sauce 1 TBSP cornstarch 1 lb boned, skinned chicken cut from 4 tsp cornstarch thigh or breast into 2 inch chuncks 4 tsp sugar Vegetable oil 4 tsp rice vinegar About 16 small dried hot red chili peppers 6 TBSP soy sauce 4 to 5 green onions, cut 1/4 C chicken broth diagonally into 1" pieces 1/4 C water 1 Clove garlic, finely minced 1/4 C dry sherry wine 1/4 tsp grated fresh gingerroot Whisk together thoroughly the egg and cornstarch. Add pieces of chicken, turning to coat evenly. In wok or deep-fat fryer, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 F. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time until lightly browned and just cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Combine sauce ingredients, mixing well. Set aside. (The chicken may be fried the first time up to one hour in advance; the sauce can be combined several days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.) In frying pan, heat 1 TBSP of oil until hot. Add chili peppers and cook until blackened. Add onions and stir-fry about one minute. Add garlic and ginger, cooking briefly, but do not brown. Remove from heat. Reheat deep oil to 400 F. Return chicken to fat, in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Re-stir sauce and add to frying pan with onions and peppers. Cook, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until well coated and heated through. Serve over rice. Makes 3 to 4 servings.