Recipe: General Tso's Chicken Recipes (10)

: I just found this site and it's the best food site I've seen so far. Great Job!

: TIA

Dear Janice,

I'm so glad you found us! Thanks for your kind words. In return I have a collection of recipes for General Tso's Chicken that I've collected off the Net. We'd still love to hear from anyone with a 'tried and true' recipe.

Happy Woking,

Betsy
TKL

Title: General Tso's Chicken
Categories: Main dish, Poultry, Chinese
Yield: 4 servings

1 Egg
1 tb Cornstarch
1 lb Boned, skinned chicken thigh
-or breast cut into 2 inch
-chuncks
4 Green onions, cut diagonally
-into 1 inch pieces
Vegetable oil
16 sm Dried Chiles
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/4 ts Grated fresh ginger

-----------------------------------SAUCE-----------------------------------
4 ts Cornstarch
4 ts Sugar
4 ts Rice vinegar
6 tb Soy sauce
1/4 c Chicken broth
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Dry sherry

Directions: Whisk together throughly 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 degrees 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.

Remove all but 1 T of oil from wok and heat until hot. Add chili peppers
and cook until blackened. Add onions and stir-fry about one minute. Add
gralic and ginger, cooking briefly, but do not brown. Remove from heat.
Set aside. Add deep-frying oil back into wok and heat to 400 degrees F.
Return chicken to wok and cook until crisp and golden brown. Drain on
paper towels.

Remove oil from wok. Put the sauce back in the wok with the onions and
peppers. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and
cook, stirring until well coated and heated through. Serve over rice.

Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 16:39:18 EDT
From: Garry Howard
Subject: Re: Recipe request-General Tso's Chicken

> Greetings! Does any one have a *really terrific* recipe for General Tso's
> chicken which they would be willing to share? My fiance loves the stuff,
> and we have been trying to make it at home. However with the recipe
> which we used (which we did follow precisely) the color was not dark
> enough and it wasn't quite sweet enough, it was good but it had more of a
> Kung Pao-kind of flavor. I would really appreciate any authentic recipes
> anyone would be kind enough to share. Thank you,
> ---Jennifer Allain Myrick The Johns Hopkins University Archives

Well, I thought for sure that while I was gone this week someone would
respond to Jennifer with a recipe. Do I have to do everything around here? :-)
Here are several recipes. Take your pick. - Garry

General Tso's Chicken (real Thing)

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chinese Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 c Cornstarch
3 lb chicken*
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Dark Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Minced Ginger
1 tsp White Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Egg
1/2 c Dark Soy Sauce
1 c Cornstarch
1/4 c White Vinegar
1 c Salad Oil
1/4 c Cooking Sherry
2 c Sliced Green Onions
1 1/2 c Hot Chicken Broth
16 Small Hot Dried Peppers
1 tbsp MSG -- (optional)
3/4 c Refined Sugar

*Dark deboned in chunks I divided recipe portions (above) to make it easier to
pre-prepare.

To make Sauce, mix cornstarch and water together. Add garlic , ginger, sugar,
soy sauce, vinegar and wine.

Then add broth and MSG and stir 'til sugar dissolves.
Refrigerate 'til 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 in small quantities and deep-fry @350
until crispy and light brown. (Do not overcook; watch temp, stir fry or meat
will toughen). Drain on paper towels. Place a small amount of oil in wok and
heat 'til just hot. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly (peppers will
give off acrid smoke..be careful). Stir sauce; add to wok. Add chicken and
cook just 'til sauce thickens. Add water or water/cornstarch if needed. This
amount will fill two large platters and serves 6-8. Serve with white steamed
rice. This recipe courtesy of Chef Paul Kaewprasart of the Siam Rest in
Columbus, OH. Jim [hapi hari] in Columbus 12/16 09:48
FROM: JAMES HARRISON,JR (TWWR12A) Roy North Beach Maryland 03/29 12:14pm
From: cjowett@abvax!sunne (Charles E. Jowett)
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Date: 12 Jun 92 18:01:15 GMT
Organization: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.

The following articles were compiled from the net during the last 6 months.
Unfortunately, the names and addresses of the originators is missing.

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)
Subject: General Tso's Chicken (RECIPE)
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
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 lb boned, skinned chicken
cut from thigh or breast
into 2 inch chuncks
Vegetable oil
About 16 small dried hot
red chili peppers
4 to 5 green onions, cut
diagonally into 1"
pieces
1 Clove garlic, finely
minced
1/4 tsp grated fresh gingerroot

Sauce

4 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp sugar
4 tsp rice vinegar
6 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 C chicken broth
1/4 C water
1/4 C dry sherry wine

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.
No, you aren't doing anything wrong, except for using the first recipe :-).
Deep-frying twice will result in a coating which is crispier and less
greasy.

Following is yet another recipe for General Tso's chicken. The seasoning
sauce is the tricky part of the dish. Instead of thickening with corn
starch as in most Chinese dishes, it is necessary to caramelize the mixture,
as in making candy. I suspect some restaurants use honey as the sweetener
in the sauce instead of sugar.

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
---------------------

INGREDIENTS:

2 whole chicken breasts
1 orange rind, minced
2+ dried hot chili peppers, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup fried peanuts (w/out skin), chopped

BATTER: SEASONING SAUCE:

1 egg 6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup beer 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce 5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Skin and bone the chicken. Cut into 1-1/2" x 2" strips.

2. Mix batter. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat. Cover and chill for
1/2 hour.

3. Mix seasoning sauce.

4. Coat each piece of chicken well with cornstarch. Arrange chicken on
well-floured wax paper.

5. Heat 2-3" of oil in a pan until very hot. Fry chicken for 30 seconds.
Drain well on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels.

6. Reheat oil over high heat until very hot. Refry chicken until crispy
and golden brown. Drain again and keep hot in oven.

7. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok over medium heat. Fry orange rind
until golden brown. Add chili and ginger, stir-frying 20 seconds. Mix
in seasoning sauce and heat to boil, stirring constantly until foam
subsides and the sauce thickens slightly and turns to glaze (about 2
minutes or more). Add fried chicken, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle
chopped peanuts on top.

From: harvey@indyvax.iupui.edu (James Harvey)
Subject: Re: General Tso's Chicken
Date: 22 Feb 94 15:38:10 -0500
>
>>I am looking for a recipe to prepare General Tso's Chicken. It is a Chinese
>>dish. Can anyone help?
>>Please send it to my e-mail address at mrb@eden.rutgers.edu Thanks!
>
Actually, I heard you can get the General Tso's Chicken collection from
the rec.food.recipes archive and it'll only cost you two-fifty! But since
so many people are asking for it, I'll post it free just this once... :-)

General Tso's chicken *

Fast & Easy Oriental Wok Cooking, by Jacqueline Heriteau.
Serves 4
Ingredients :
4 large chicken legs Vegetable oil
1 egg 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Sauce 1 :
2 green onions 1.5 tbsps light soy sauce
1.5 tbsps mushroom soy sauce 1.5 tbsps rice wine or dry sherry
2 .5 inch piece frsh ginger grinding of fresh pepper
3 tbsps chicken bouillon 1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce 2 :
1 tsp rice or cider vinegar 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
.5 tbsp chilli paste (more if you like hot food)

Method :
Bone and cut the chicken into .5 inch pieces, combine it
with the egg, oil and cornstarch. Combine the ingredients for
Sauce 1. Warm 2 serving dishes, one lined with paper towel, in a
250 degree oven. Fill a wok to a depth of 1.5-2 inches with oil,
heat to high (400deg), or a day-old cube of bread browns in just
under a minute. Heat for another 4 mins. Put the chicken pieces
in the oil, then stir fry for 3 mins. Remove the chicken, and
keep warm in the paper-lined dish in the oven. Empty the oil from
the wok, reduce the heat to medium (350deg) and stir in Sauce 1.
As soon as it bubbles, stir in the chicken. Sprinkle sauce 2 over
the chicken, stir fry for another minute, then turn into the warm
serving dish. Scrape the sauce over the chicken, and serve at
once.

General Tso's Chicken *

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 chick 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.

General Tso's Chicken *

1 lb boned, skinned chicken (thigh or breast) into 2 inch chunks
4 to 5 green onions, cut diagonally into 1" pieces
1 egg
1 tbsp cornstarch
Vegetable oil
About 16 small dried chilis
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

Sauce
4 tsp cornstarch 4 tsp sugar
4 tsp rice vinegar 6 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 C chicken broth 1/4 C water
1/4 C dry sherry wine

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.

General Tso's Chicken *

Following is yet another recipe for General Tso's chicken.
The seasoning sauce is the tricky part of the dish. Instead of
thickening with corn starch as in most Chinese dishes, it is
necessary to caramelize the mixture, as in making candy. I
suspect some restaurants use honey as the sweetener in the sauce
instead of sugar.

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breasts 1 orange rind, minced
2+ hot peppers, crushed 1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup cornstarch 1/3 cup fried peanuts, chopped
Batter: Seasoning sauce:
1 egg 6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup beer 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce 5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of pepper

1.-4. Skin and bone the chicken. Cut into 1-1/2" x 2" strips.
Mix batter. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat. Cover and
chill for 1/2 hour. Mix seasoning sauce.
4. Coat each piece of chicken well with cornstarch. Arrange
chicken on well-floured wax paper.
5. Heat 2-3" of oil in a pan until very hot. Fry chicken for 30
seconds. Drain well on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels.
6. Reheat oil over high heat until very hot. Refry chicken until
crispy and golden brown. Drain again and keep hot in oven.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok over medium heat. Fry orange
rind until golden brown. Add chili and ginger, stir-frying 20
seconds. Mix in seasoning sauce and heat to boil, stirring
constantly until foam subsides and the sauce thickens slightly
and turns to glaze (about 2 minutes or more). Add fried chicken,
tossing to coat well. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.

Gen. Tso's Chicken *

3 T cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 lb chicken meat/2 in. pieces
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c pineapple juice
1/4 c vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced (I use more, but I love garlic)
1 t fresh ginger, minced
oil for deep frying
6 dry whole red peppers
2 T cornstarch mixed with 3 T water
4 green onions, 1/4 inch pieces

Combine cornstarch, egg, and chicken and stir to coat well
Combine sauce ingredients: sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice,
vinegar, garlic, and ginger

Heat oil in wok (1 inch+ deep)
When very hot, add half of the chicken and fry until crisp and cooked
(should only take a few minutes)
Remove to drain on paper towels.
Reheat oil and cook remaining chicken.
Remove all but 1 T oil and add red peppers. Stir fry quickly without
burning.
Add sauce and stir until well-mixed and sugar dissolves.
Add cornstarch mixture stirring until thickened.
Return chick to wok with green onions.
Stir to coat chicken, remove, and serve with rice.
Serves 4.
--
James Harvey harvey@iupui.edu IUPUI OIT Technical Support/VMS/Unix/Networks
Disclaimer: These are my own opinions. I do not speak for Indiana University.
He who refuses to read history is doomed to repeat it.