General Tso’s Chicken

For the marinade:

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, cooking sherry, and egg white. Cut chicken into one-inch cubes and add to the marinade, mixing well with a fork. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

For the sauce:

Whisk together chicken stock, tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, vegetable oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the preparation:

In a pie plate or other deep plate, mix together 3/4 cups cornstarch, salt, and black pepper. Scoop chicken out of the marinade and place in the cornstarch, turning and mixing until all pieces are coated. The mixture will be somewhat sticky.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces to the pan. Toss the chicken as it cooks, making sure that all sides of the pieces are crispy. Cook the chicken for 10-15 minutes until golden-brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour excess oil out of the pan but do not wipe clean.

Return pan to the heat. Add minced garlic and chili flakes to the pan and toss gently for about 20 seconds. Add sauce to the pan and allow to thicken for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and return chicken to the pan. Toss chicken until thoroughly coated.

Serve over a bed of rice, garnished with sesame seeds and scallion greens.

Adapted from Appetite for China.