General Tso Chicken
$89.00 — available on subscription
Description
General Tso’s chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish that consists of deep-fried chicken chunks coated in a sweet and spicy sauce. The dish is named after General Tso Tsung-tang, a Qing Dynasty statesman and military leader, although there is no historical evidence that he had anything to do with the dish. It is believed to have been created by Chinese-American chefs in the mid-20th century and has since become a staple in Chinese-American cuisine.
The dish is made by marinating bite-sized pieces of chicken in a mixture of egg whites, cornstarch, and sesame oil, then deep-frying them until golden brown. The fried chicken is then sautéed with a flavorful sauce that typically consists of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili paste, and garlic. The sauce is thickened with cornstarch and is poured over the fried chicken. The dish is typically garnished with sliced scallions and served with steamed rice.
General Tso’s chicken has a distinctive sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavor, and it’s a dish that appeals to both Chinese and Western tastes. The dish can be quite spicy depending on the recipe, but it can also be adjusted to suit individual tastes by using more or less chili paste.
It is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants, and it is often included in American Chinese takeout menus. The dish is also easy to make at home, and many variations of the recipe can be found online.
Ingredients
The ingredients for General Tso’s chicken typically include:
- Chicken: typically boneless and skinless chicken breast or thigh meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Egg whites: used as a binder for the chicken
- Cornstarch: used to create a crispy coating on the chicken
- Sesame oil: used to add flavor and as a binder for the chicken
- Oil: for deep-frying, commonly vegetable or peanut oil
- Sauce: typically a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili paste, and garlic.
- Scallions: for garnish
- Steamed rice: as a side dish
Other ingredients that can be added to the dish include ginger, hoisin sauce, or oyster sauce, to enhance the flavor of the sauce. Some variations of the recipe also include vegetables such as bell peppers or broccoli. The dish can be adjusted to personal taste by using more or less of certain ingredients and by adjusting the amount of sauce used.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.