General Tso's Chicken

To be completely honest, some of my favorite nights with the boyfriend are the nights where we order in some Chinese food and just watch a movie snuggled up on the couch. It really doesn't get much better than that, especially after a bad day. But, you don't always have to go to your favorite Asian restaurant for great take out food... you can recreate it at home! We've made teriyaki chicken, mongolian beef, and a few others, and they have always delivered. Well, I came across this recipe and I knew that we had to make it the next time we were craving some Chinese food. Neither of us had ever had General Tso's Chicken, but I knew that is a very popular dish, and the recipe looked easy enough, so we gave it a go. The dinner was easy to make and made tons of food, so we were sufficiently stuffed by the end of it. If you are a Chinese food lover just like us, definitely make this for an easy going dinner during the week, you will not be disappointed!! Enjoy :)

General Tso's Chicken

For the Chicken:

1 ½t Toasted Sesame Oil

1T Soy Sauce

1 Whole Large Egg White

¼C + 2T Cornstarch

1lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

Canola Oil, For Frying

For The Sauce:

1T Canola Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2T Fresh Ginger, Minced

1C Chicken Stock

¼C Soy Sauce

1T Cornstarch

1t Chile-Garlic Sauce

3T Raw Sugar

2T Honey

For Serving:

Prepared Chicken & Sauce

Green Onions, Sliced

Steamed Rice

Steamed Broccoli

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white, and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until a thick slurry forms. It will look gummy but smooth.
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir until all are evenly coated. At first it may appear that it will not come together but it will. Set chicken aside, covered lightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally,
3. Add the tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour into the garlic and ginger, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. Once the sauce thickens, lower heat and keep the saucepan over a low burner partially covered to stay warm.
5. Heat ½ inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process until you’ve cooked all the chicken. Then slide all of the fried chicken into the prepared sauce and toss to coat. (If desired, add some steamed broccoli to coat with the sauce also.) Increase the heat to medium, stir and cook just until hot all the way through.
6. Serve the finished chicken on a bed of white rice along with steamed broccoli and sliced green onions.