Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dredge
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
For the Sauce & Assembly
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 6-8 whole dried red chiles (like Tien Tsin)
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
- Neutral oil, for frying
First, Marinate the Chicken and Make the Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s a little frothy. Add the Shaoxing wine and low-sodium soy sauce and whisk to combine. In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch, sea salt, MSG, and white pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Add the chicken pieces to the batter and mix until every piece is thoroughly coated. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients, from the chicken stock to the cornstarch. Keep whisking until the brown sugar and cornstarch are fully dissolved.
Next, Dredge and Fry the Chicken
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dry dredge: cornstarch, flour, baking powder, sea salt, and MSG.
Pour enough neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to fully submerge the chicken and preheat it to 350F.
Working with a few pieces at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade, let any excess batter drip off, and dredge it thoroughly in the dry coating mixture. Make sure each piece is completely covered.
Carefully add the coated chicken to the hot oil, being sure not to crowd the pot. Fry in batches for ~4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly golden. Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain.
Once all the chicken has been fried once, increase the oil temperature to 375F. Fry the chicken again, in batches, for another 2 minutes until it’s a deep golden brown and extra crispy. Return it to the wire rack to drain.
Finally, Make the Sauce and Assemble the Dish
In a large wok or skillet, heat a tablespoon of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and whole dried chiles. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until they are very fragrant.
Give the sauce mixture a final whisk and pour it into the wok. Let it simmer, stirring constantly, for 1-3 minutes until it bubbles and thickens into a glossy glaze.
Add the double-fried chicken to the sauce and toss quickly to coat every piece. Serve immediately with the blanched broccoli.
General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dredge
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
For the Sauce & Assembly
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 6-8 whole dried red chiles like Tien Tsin
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets and blanched
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Whisk egg white until frothy, add Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Combine with cornstarch, salt, MSG, and white pepper to make batter.
- Coat chicken pieces in batter, marinate 15 minutes.
- Mix sauce ingredients in bowl until sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- Combine dredging ingredients in separate bowl.
- Heat oil to 350F in deep pot.
- Dredge marinated chicken pieces in dry coating mixture.
- Fry chicken in batches 4 minutes until golden. Drain on wire rack.
- Increase oil to 375F, fry chicken again 2 minutes until deep golden. Drain.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, stir-fry garlic, ginger, and dried chiles 30 seconds.
- Add sauce mixture, simmer 1-3 minutes until thickened.
- Toss double-fried chicken in sauce until coated.
- Serve with blanched broccoli.
