General Tso's Chicken (Tso Chung Gai) Recipe

"Back in the 1980's, Bill and I plowed our way through recipe after recipe of Tso's trying to find one both familiar and what we liked. I have heard there are regional differences in this dish. This one was familiar to us being around St. Louis. But please, try every Tso recipe you find. You won't hurt my feelings if this is not the one you are looking for. Not all the recipes are alike, and that doesn't mean one is better- it just means they are different. The recipes Bill and I tried were good (Ok, some of them were bad LOL), but we were happy to try them all. The recipe is kind of a pain, but the end result is worth it, unless you want to settle for takeout. And please don't complain to me about how much cooking oil costs when deep-frying foods (someone actually did this). C'mon. Learn to recycle."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Mix together egg, salt, black pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl.

Step 2

Add the chicken cubes; mix to coat, and marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Step 3

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger,hoisin sauce, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and sherry for the sauce; reserve.

Step 4

Heat wok over high heat for a minute or so; add about 3 1/2-4 cups of peanut oil to wok, and heat to 350 degrees F.

Step 5

With tongs, remove chicken cubes individually from bowl, dust with 1 tbsp. cornstarch, shaking off excess, and place in the hot oil.

Step 6

Deep-fry chicken pieces for 1 1/2-2 minutes, until browned and crisp.

Step 7

Turn off heat, and remove chicken with a wire strainer and drain over a bowl.

Step 8

Pour off all but 1 1/2 tbsp. of the oil from the wok.

Step 9

Heat the wok over high heat for 20-30 seconds; add the chilies and stir-fry for 15-20 seconds, then add the green onions, cooking for 30 seconds more.