margoli@IBM.com (Larry Margolis) (11/08/90)
> I need a recipe for General Tso's Chicken. I haven't had much > success duplicating it by trial and error. Can anybody help? I'll supply two recipes. The first is the one I use, the second is one that also came off the net but which I have not yet tried. Larry Margolis, MARGOLI@YKTVMV (bitnet), MARGOLI@IBM.COM (csnet) === General Tso's Chicken Siam Oriental Restaraunt as prepared by Chef Paul Kaewprasart Voted one of the top 10 dishes in Columbus by Columbus Monthly Magazine. 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 chicken 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 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. Source: From "A Taste Of Columbus" Volume III Favorite recipes from leading Central Ohio Restaraunts. === From: ARNIE@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (ARNIE SKUROW) Date: 10 Jan 90 19:15:34 GMT I know we've had quite a bit of traffic on this net referring to General Tso's Chicken lately. In today's Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch is a recipe for General Tso's chicken that sounded wonderful, and I am sending it on to you verbatim and without permission. 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!" ---------------------------- 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.