General Tso's Chicken

There were so many ingredients in this recipe, but I decided to try it out anyway. I bought some dried chiles in the Mexican food aisle for a buck, and I had all the other ingredients. I served this dish over rice. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about those chile peppers, since I don't like spicy dishes. But, it turned out just spicy enough for me!! Don't eat the pods, I didn't even eat the green onions!! The technique of getting the chicken ready to deep-fry was weird, but I guess it ended up working out OK. When I added the oil so the chicken wouldn't stick together it didn't really work. I used peanut oil and only put a bit in the bottom of a small frying pan, turning the chicken once the bottom side was golden brown. I didn't find that the soy sauce or wine taste overpowered the dish, as can sometimes happen, and I used chicken breasts rather than thighs. I will definitely keep this recipe. In fact, after eating one serving I almost want another right now!!

FOLLOW-UP: I ate the leftovers a couple of hours after the first taste and it was WAY more spicy!! I don't know if it was because I left the peppers in the container in the fridge or if the spices just "matured", but my mouth is burning right now. Other people won't notice it as much, but I am super sensitive to spicy heat!! Next time I will try to remove the pepper before I store the leftovers and see if that helps keep the heat down for me.

General Tso's Chicken

2 T cornstarch
1/2 c. water
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ground ginger
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. hot chicken broth
3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 t. white pepper
1 egg
1 c. cornstarch
1 c. oil
oil for deep frying
1 t. oil
16 small dried hot peppers
2 c. sliced green onions

1. Whisk together 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with water. Add garlic powder, ginger powder, sugar, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, and chicken broth together until the sugar dissolves.
2. Mix together in separate bowl chicken, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and white pepper. Whisk in egg. Add 1 cup of cornstarch and mix until chicken is coated. Add 1 cup oil to separate chicken pieces. Divide the chicken into batches and deep fry at 350ºF until crispy and browned. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok or large skillet and heat on high until nearly smoking. Add hot peppers and green onions and stir-fry briefly.
4. Stir reserved sauce and add to wok with pepper and onion. Add reserved cooked chicken and lower heat to medium-high. Cook until sauce is bubbling hot and thickens. Makes 8 servings.