General Tso Chicken
The famous crispy sweet-and-spicy Chinese-American chicken. (Reconstructed classic method - the source page lists ingredients only.)
Ingredients
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | oyster sauce |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | hoisin sauce |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | chili garlic sauce |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | sugar |
| 90 ml | white vinegar | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | soy sauce |
| 1/2 tbsp | 7.5 ml | minced ginger root |
| 1/2 tbsp | 7.5 ml | chopped garlic |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water |
| 1 drop | red food coloring (optional) | |
| 1.8 L | vegetable oil (plus 2 tbsp for stir-frying) | |
| 900 g | boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2" (5-cm) dice | |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 ml | tempura flour (plus 1 cup for dredging) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | cold water |
| 1/2 piece | onion, cut into large dice | |
| 10-12 pieces | whole dried Thai chilies |
Instructions
(Reconstructed classic method - the source lists only ingredients.)
- Make the sauce: in a bowl combine the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, minced ginger and garlic. Optionally add a drop of red food coloring. Reserve the cornstarch-water slurry separately.
- In a bowl, whisk 1½ cups tempura flour with 1 cup cold water into a batter. Place the remaining 1 cup tempura flour in a separate bowl for dredging.
- Heat the 1½ qt (1.8 L) vegetable oil to about 350°F (175°C). Dredge the diced chicken thighs in dry tempura flour, then coat in the batter, and deep-fry in batches until golden and crisp. Drain.
- In a wok, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat. Stir-fry the diced onion and whole dried Thai chilies until fragrant.
- Pour in the reserved sauce and bring to a simmer, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened and glossy.
- Add the fried chicken and toss quickly to coat evenly. Serve immediately.