I would not say this is a traditional Chinese dish it’s more in the spirit of the chicken tikka masala served in Indian restaurants in Britain, and the Mongolian lamb of Australia’s Chinese restaurants. You’d be hard pressed to find a similar, authentic item in a restaurant in China, yet General Tso’s chicken is a staple in American Chinese restaurants. When done well, its balance of flavours is universally appreciated. Try it with a golden ale.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 egg
- 4 free-range skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into large chunks
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2½ oz/½ cup (75 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 5 cm (2 inch) chunk fresh ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 spring onions (scallions) cut into short lengths
- steamed jasmine rice to serve
Sauce
- 2 fl oz/¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
How to Make It
- Whisk the rice wine, soy sauce and egg in a bowl with a pinch each of ground white pepper, sea salt and sugar. Add the chicken, stirring to coat in the marinade. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 3–6 hours.
- Fill a wok one-third full of oil. Heat over high heat until the oil is shimmering. Stir the flour through the chicken to make a thick batter. In two batches, fry the chicken in the hot oil for about 3–4 minutes, or until golden.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Combine the sauce ingredients, add to the wok and bring to the boil, then keep boiling until the sauce thickens.
- Stir the chicken through the sauce until coated. Serve with jasmine rice.