THIS GENERAL TSAO’S CHICKEN IS WAY BETTER THAN TAKEOUT

INGREDIENTS :

4 cups vegetable oil for frying
(1) egg
(1 ½) lb of chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
(1) pinch white pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp chopped green onion
(1) clove garlic, minced
(6) peppers dried whole red chilies
(1) strip orange zest
½ cup white sugar
¼ tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp chicken broth
1 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup of soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup of water

INSTRUCTIONS :

In a deep-fryer or large saucepan, heat 4 cups vegetable oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, a tsp of sugar, and white pepper; mix well. Mix in a cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.

Carefully add and drop chicken cubes into the hot oil in lots, one by one. Cook for 3 minutes until they turn golden brown and start floating. Remove the chicken and allow it to cool as you fry the next batch. Refry the chicken once all of the chicken has been fried, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook it until the chicken turns deep golden brown for 2 minutes more, and then drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

In a wok or large skillet, add and heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over high heat. Add and stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden, and the chiles brighten. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil, and then let it boil and cook for 3 minutes.

Dissolve 2 tsp of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Make it boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about a minute. Add the chicken and stir in the boiling sauce, reduce the heat to a minimum, and cook until some of the sauce is absorbed by the chicken for a few minutes.