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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

General Tso's Chicken

When I came across this Food and Wine recipe, I knew I had to try it.  This is a great take on the classic Chinese takeout dish.  The flavors are all there, with just a bit of spice, but the dish is lightened up a bit as the chicken has a light cornstarch coating similar to a tempura batter and then is quickly pan-fried instead of deep fried.  Serve this with a side of brown rice and steamed edamame.

If you have never tried edamame, which are young green soybeans, look for them in your grocers frozen vegetable section.  They are now sold in microwave steam bags, with a small bag of kosher salt for seasoning, and they are super easy to make.  Edamame are served as a snack in many Japanese restaurants and are extemely good for you.  Just a 1/2 cup of shelled edamame contain just 120 calories with 9 grams of fiber and 11 gram of protein.  As an extra bonus: Kids love them!

3 tsp  Sesame Oil
2  Large Egg Whites
1/2 cup plus 2 TB  Soy Sauce
1/2 cup plus 6 TB  Cornstarch
2 lbs  Boneless Skinless Chicken cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups  Chicken Broth
2 tsp  Sriarcha Chili Garlic Sauce (use 3 tsp for a spicy version)
6 TB  Sugar
2 TB  Canola Oil, plus more for frying
3 TB  Ginger, minced
3 TB  Garlic, minced
Steamed Brown Rice and Steamed Edamame for Sides

In a medium bowl, combine the sesame oil with the egg whites, 2 TB soy sauce, and 1/2 cup plus 4 TB of cornstarch.  Add the chicken pieces, stirring to coat.  Let stand at room temp for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth with the Sriracha, sugar and remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce and 2 TB cornstarch.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 TB oil, add the ginger and garlic and cook over medium-high heat about 1 minute.  Stir broth mixture, add it to the pan and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.  Keep sauce warm on low heat.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the chicken pieces one at a time, leaving space between the pieces, and fry chicken until browned and crisp, turning once or twice, a total of about 5 minutes.  Drain the chicken on paper towels, then add the chicken to the pot of sauce.  Stir to coat the chicken and serve over brown rice with a side of steamed edamame.

2 comments:

  1. Made this last night and it was ABSOLUTELY fabulous! I have the kid who won't eat anything and she ate three (small) servings! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for visiting and I'm so glad your daughter liked it! This is one of my favorite recipes.

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