General Tso's Chicken

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: General Tso's Chicken
Categories: Chicken, Oriental
Yield: 4 servings

SUSAN AARONSON (PSTT79C)
12 Chicken thighs; bone, skin,
-1" pcs
2/3 c Cornstarch
2 c Canned chicken broth
2 ts Garlic; mince fine
2 ts Fresh ginger; grate
1/2 c Chinese Dark soy sauce
1/3 c Cider vinegar
1/4 c Very dry, Fino sherry;
-(from Xerez Spain)
1 tb MSG or salt
1/2 c Sugar
COATING FOR CHICKEN
1/2 c Dark soy sauce
1 ts Fresh ground black pepper
1 ts White pepper
2 Egg whites
1 c Cornstarch
1/2 c Peanut oil plus oil for deep
-frying
2 bn Scallions; 1/2" pcs
6 -8 dried thin reddish
-Szechuan peppercorns

Mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) together
until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Set aside
until chicken is cooked. CHICKEN COATING- Wash and
thoroughly dry the chicken chunks. Mix all the coating
ingredients together and add the chicken, stirring to
completely and evenly coat the pieces. Heat a wok with
3 cups of peanut oil (if your wok if bigger, add more
oil). When oil is hot--about 375 ~, add the chicken
chunks, stirring with a chopstick or a knife (the thin
instrument will enable you to keep the pieces
separated) Turn the pieces constantly in the oil to
ensure even cooking and browning. When cooked through
(not overcooked) remove the crisp/brown pieces and
drain well on paper toweling. Continue frying the
chicken until all pieces are done. Reserve 2 tb of oil
from the frying chicken in the wok and toss in the
peppercorns, stirring until they begin to turn black.
If you like it hotter, crush the peppercorns until the
seeds come out of the pod-this is where the heat is.
If you like it milder, remove the peppercorns. Add the
scallions and toss for a few seconds then add the
sauce ingredients, stirring very well and cooking just
to the boil. The sauce will thicken at the boil and
longer cooking will break down the cornstarch and
cause the sauce to thin in a very short time. Add the
chicken pieces to the sauce and stir. Taste for
seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper to taste. This
recipe, which I have since modified, was posted 4 or 5
years ago but regretfully, I don't have the name of
the original poster.

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