General Tso's Chicken | 左宗棠雞

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I always wondered why isn't Panda Express in Singapore. What puzzled me more is why doesn't Panda Express serve General Tso's chicken; they decided to do so only recently. That's not the most bizarre thing.

What's even more unreal is the origin story of this dish. The dish has been associated with Zuo Zongtang (a Qing dynasty military leader from Hunan Province), even thought, this dish has no recorded connection to Zuo nor is the dish known in Zuo's home province, Hunan.

The dish is found neither in Changsha (capital of Hunan Province), nor in Xiangyin County, where Zuo was born. Moreover, Zuo's descendants, who are still living in Xiangyin County, said that they had never heard of this dish.

You can read all about this various claims of the history here. Let them debate all they want while we devour this fantastic dish. The chicken is battered and deep fried twice, then coated in a soy sauce base sauce. You can save the remaining sauce for another dish (which I am gonna post in a couple of days).

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Ingredients:

(Serve 4)

• Base Sauce:

• Soy Sauce, 125g

• Green Onions (White Parts) Coarsely Sliced, A Handful

• Ginger Coarsely Minced, 1"

• Garlic Crashed with Peels, 2 Cloves

• Kecap Manis Homemade, 1/2 TBSP

• ShaoXing / HuaTiao / Sherry Wine, 60g

• Granulated Sugar, 20g

• Hoisin Sauce, 1 TBSP

• Oyster Sauce, 40g

• Chicken Stock Homemade Preferably Unsalted, 300g

• Chicken:

• Chicken Thigh Boneless Coarsely Diced, 2 Preferably With Skin On

• Sea Salt, Pinch

• White Pepper, Pinch

• Mushroom Powder, Pinch

• Garlic Powder, 1/2 TBSP

• ShaoXing / HuaTiao / Sherry Wine, 2 TBSP

• Egg, 1

• Baking Soda, 1 TSP

• General Tso's Sauce:

• Granulated Sugar, 300g

• Apple Cider Vinegar, 130g

• Sriracha / Hot Sauce, 1.5 TBSP Adjust To Preference

• General Tso's Chicken:

• Corn Starch, 45g

• Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 2 TBSP + More For Frying and Cooking

• Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves

• Green Onions (Green Parts) Coarsely Sliced, A Handful

• Slurry, 1 TBSP Potato Starch + 2 TBSP Water

• Sea Salt, Pinch

• White Pepper, Pinch

• Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP

• Sesame Seeds, For Garnishing

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Equipment:

• Dutch Oven

• Cast Iron Skillet / Pan

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Directions:

1. Please visit my "How To Make Chicken Stock" page for the recipe.

2. Please visit my "How To Make Kecap Manis" page for the recipe.

3. Prepare the Base Sauce

4. Mix all base sauce ingredients in a large bowl.

5. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Marinate the Chicken

7. Combine chicken with the marinade ingredients until well coated.

8. Set the chicken skin aside.

9. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.

10. Make the General Tso’s Sauce

11. Strain the base sauce into a clean bowl and discard the solids.

12. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix until well combined.

13. Measure out 355g of the sauce for this recipe.

14. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container and keep it chilled for future use.

15. Coat and Fry the Chicken

16. Add cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of oil to the marinated chicken.

17. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated.

18. Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

19. Use a wooden chopstick to check the oil: if bubbles form, it’s ready.

20. Gently drop chicken into the oil and fry until lightly golden.

21. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper-lined plate.

22. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding.

23. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

24. Fry the Chicken Skin

25. Coat the reserved chicken skin with any leftover batter.

26. Fry until golden and crispy.

27. Set aside to cool slightly, then coarsely slice.

28. Double-Fry the Chicken

29. Increase the heat to medium-high.

30. Fry the chicken a second time until deep golden brown.

31. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper-lined plate.

32. Finish in the Sauce

33. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil.

34. Sauté garlic and green onions until aromatic.

35. Add the 355g of prepared General Tso’s sauce and bring to a simmer.

36. Stir in the slurry (potato starch + water) to thicken the sauce.

37. Toss in the fried chicken and coat well in the sauce.

38. Simmer until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.

39. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

40. Remove from heat.

41. Garnish and Serve

42. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil.

43. Garnish with crispy chicken skin, more green onions, and sesame seeds.

44. Serve immediately.

Chickenlicious...

Please give this a try...

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Recipe Video: