Chinese - General Tso's Chicken #1, more authentic
Source of Recipe
JohnRoss
Recipe Link: www.io.com/~sjohn/food3.htm It's not really a Chinese dish, but it's nevertheless one of the
most popular dishes at Chinese restaurants here where I live,
and elsewhere. General Tso's Chicken is very inexpensive to
make, but some restaurants charge rather a lot for it, usually
putting it with "Chef's Specialities" and the like on the menu,
rather than with the ordinary chicken dishes. No fair!
Note:
The basis for this recipe was compiled from over forty
different versions of the dish, combining the best aspects
of each, averaging sauce ratios, and simplifying the basic
dish to it's core ingredients.
This is how to make it.
Chinese - General Tso's Chicken #1, more authentic
1 pound chicken thighs, boned and cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup and 2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried pepper pods
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons rice wine
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of
cornstarch and the eggs. Add the chicken and toss
to coat. If the mixture bonds too well, add some
vegetable oil to separate the pieces.
In a small bowl combine the 2 tsp cornstarch with
the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce for the sauce
mixture.
First-Stage Frying:
Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium/high
heat (350-400o). 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, refrigerating both if
making in advance).
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.
Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the
heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes).
Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings, along with steamed broccoli and rice.
Variations and Substitutions:
Sherry substitutes well for the rice wine, but avoid
"cooking sherry" if you can.
Sugar in the sauce ranges from as little as a few teaspoons
to a full half-cup in some recipes.
Soy sauce, too, varies dramatically, rising as high as double
that listed above.
Nearly any sort of vinegar can be used.
In some recipes, a tablespoon of soy sauce is added to the
egg-and-cornstarch blend. In others, the chicken itself is
marinated before being used, in either soy, wine, vinegar, or
some combination of those.
Many recipes include a much lighter egg-and-cornstarch
coating for the chicken (about 2 tbsp of starch and two eggs).
I prefer the heavier coating; adjust to taste.
Optional Sauce Ingredients:
A grind of fresh black pepper,
a teaspoon of sesame oil,
a teaspoon of MSG,
a clove or two of garlic,
a couple of fresh chopped scallions or green onions,
1-2 teaspoons of Chinese chili sauce,
fresh ginger,
a teaspoon of hoisin sauce,
the minced rind of an orange,
and many other items may be added to the sauce.
Any vegetal additions should be added to the oil along
with the chicken (the ginger can burn easily - add it last).
Light Tso Sauce:
The traditional sauce for General Tso's is a heavy, spicy
glaze, different from the lighter broth-based sauces
found on most other Chinese dishes. Some prefer a lighter
Tso sauce, too, and this can be achieved by tripling the
cornstarch in the sauce and adding a half-cup of fluid.
The "fluid" can be chicken broth, water, or even fruit
juice (both orange and pineapple have been used). Cook
the sauce only 'til it thickens, instead of waiting for a
glaze. This version of the sauce is actually more common
in the local restaurants; if you're a Tso fan, it might be
what you're used to.
History
General Zou Zong-Tang was a general of the Qing (Manchu)
Dynasty of China, responsible for supressing Muslim uprisings.
His name was used to frighten Muslim children for centuries
after his death. It is questionable whether or not the General
(or his quartermaster) actually invented General Tso's Chicken
. . . it seems more likely to have been the invention of Taiwanese
immigrants to the United States and Europe, and then
(according to some folks who've done some poking into that side
of the history) popularized at a New York restaurant in the 1970s.
Alternate spellings include General Cho, General Zo, General Zhou,
General Jo, and General Tzo. It's pronounced "Djo," with the
tongue hard against teeth.
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