8:22 PM 2/16/98
Judy a fwd from rec food cooking

General Tso's Chicken #1

2 pounds boneless chicken,
dark or light meat, in 1" cubes

Marinade:

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water chestnut powder*
1 egg

Sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
1 TBL oyster sauce
3 TBL sugar
3 TBL rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Mix all ingredients in glass or plastic bowl.
Add chicken chunks and marinate 1/2 hour.
Assemble sauce by mixing all ingredients well.
Deep fry chicken in vegetable oil til crisp (3-4 minutes).
Remove from oil and drain off all but a light covering of oil.
Return chicken to pan, combine with sauce.
Cook over high heat, tossing well to coat with sauce.
Just before it is finished, add a dash of sesame oil.

*You can substitute cornstarch but it won't taste the same.

- - -

General Tso's Chicken #2

2 pounds flour
2 pounds corn starch
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 ounces sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
water to make a batter

2 pounds chicken meat, cubed
1/2 gallon oil for deep frying

Mix all ingredients except chicken and frying oil in large bowl, using
enough water to make a batter.  Blend until smooth.  Heat oil to 350
degrees in a deep frying pan or wok.  Dip chicken in batter and fry
until cooked, about 5 minutes.  Drain oil and put chicken in a
low-heat
oven to keep warm.  Assemble sauce:

Sauce:

1 tsp hot chili sauce
5 tsp ketchup
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp red food coloring, if desired

2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 3 ounces cold water.
4 ounces sugar

Mix all ingredients except sugar and cornstarch in a large frying pan
over medium high heat.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Pour sugar in and
stir until the sugar is melted, then quickly pour in cornstarch
mixture
and stir again until all is well blended.  Pour sauce over chicken and
serve with steamed rice.


*                       *                       *
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.


Rich Byrnes


