Recipe: General Tso's Chicken

This fiery chicken dish with a legendary history may be found on menus in Chinese restaurants around the world. Here's how to make it in your own kitchen.

General Tso's Chicken

Marinade:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" inch pieces
¼ cup shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
¼ cup soy sauce

Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat. Set aside for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sauce:
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup chicken stock or water

Combine all sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup. Stir thoroughly and set aside.

Batter:
¼ cup cornstarch
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
Water as needed
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Combine cornstarch and egg in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. If the batter is too thick, add water a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency. Drain the chicken from the marinade, add chicken to the batter and stir to thoroughly coat.

Stir-Fry:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil (more or less to taste)
1 knob ginger root, peeled and finely shredded
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
4 scallions, thinly sliced

To Prepare Chicken:
Heat 1" of vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat and fry battered chicken pieces a few at a time, turning once to brown on both sides. Remove the chicken from the oil, drain on paper towels and transfer to serving dishes.

To Prepare Sauce:
Heat peanut oil in a wok over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for about one minute, until fragrant and tender. Stir in sauce mixture and dried chili peppers and simmer, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened. Add fried chicken pieces, stir to coat, transfer to serving dishes and garnish with scallions.