General Tso's Chicken
>> Sunday, February 26, 2012
1/4 cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, but into bite-sized chunks
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or canola oil for frying
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
6-8 dried red whole chilies (I used 4 green chilies)
3 scallions, white and green parts, cut into half inch chunks
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch. Stir until smooth.
In another bowl, toss chicken chunks with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and a pinch of sea salt, and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
When ready to cook, toss chicken to coat evenly with remaining 1/3 cup of cornstarch. Chicken should have a dry coating of cornstarch; add a little more if coating seems moist. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about 1/4 cup of oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
Pour most of the oil out of the skillet, until only a thin coating remains in the pan. Add garlic and ginger to pan and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add whole chilies, chicken pieces, and scallion pieces, and toss to combine. Add sauce and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, becomes shiny, and evenly coats chicken. Top with more sliced scallions and serve immediately with white rice. Enjoy!
