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^{General Tso Chicken Photo ©Dianaskitchen.com}

General Tso's Chicken

This flavorful General Tso chicken is made with chicken breasts and a delicious spicy sauce. Serve this chicken over rice or with your favorite Asian style noodle dish, garnished with thinly sliced green onions.

Total Time: 60 minutes

Marinade Ingredients:

Sauce

• 1/3 cup water or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste or similar chili paste
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Marinade

• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 egg whites
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes

Coating Mixture

• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Frying and Serving

• 2 to 3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying, plus 1 tablespoon for stir-frying
• 3 to 4 dried red chilis, broken up (I remove the seeds)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine the water, ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, and 2 egg whites, whisk lightly to blend. Add the chicken pieces and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Combine the cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a large food storage bag.

With a slotted spoon, lift the chicken out of the marinade, several pieces at a time, and shake in the cornstarch mixture to coat thoroughly. Transfer to a plate while coating the remaining chicken pieces. Meanwhile, heat 2 to 3 cups of oil in a wok or saute pan. The oil should be deep enough to cover the chicken pieces. Alternatively, you may use a deep fryer to fry the chicken pieces. When the oil is hot, about 365°, add about 8 chicken pieces and fry until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Remove to paper towels while frying the rest in batches. In a wok or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the coarsely broken chili peppers and garlic and stir fry for about 30 to 60 seconds, or until aromatic. Note: don't inhale the fumes -- smell from a bit of a distance. Add the sauce to the wok and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, or until thickened. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until hot and thoroughly coated. Serve with hot cooked rice or your favorite noodle dish.

Serves 4 to 6.