General Tso's Chicken

Step 1

Marinate the chicken pieces in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine, water, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix until the chicken absorbs all the liquid. Next, add the toasted sesame seeds, all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Stir to coat, and set aside.

Step 2

Make the sauce mixture by combining the low-sodium chicken stock, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

Step 3

In a wok or pot, boil 6 cups water, and blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on whether you like your broccoli soft or crunchy.  Drain in a colander and set aside. To keep it super green, you can also transfer them to an ice bath, and then drain and set aside.

Step 4

Heat the frying oil in a small but deep pot to 335 degrees F/170 degrees C. Carefully drop the chicken pieces into the oil in small batches. Make sure the batter/sesame seeds have really coated all sides of the chicken before frying. The chicken should float at the top of the oil. Fry until light golden brown (about 5 minutes) and transfer to a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Step 5

Be sure to manage the oil temperature using a thermometer, as it will drop every time you add raw chicken. Continue frying in batches. Once all of the chicken has been fried once, fry the chicken a second time for 3 to 5 minutes until super crispy. Be careful not to burn it!

Step 6

Heat a clean wok over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the dried chilies. Cook the chili peppers for about 5 seconds. Add the minced garlic and Shaoxing wine.

Step 7

Next, add the General Tso’s Chicken sauce you prepared earlier. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch slurry until it thickens to a glossy sauce. Add the chicken and broccoli, and toss until everything is coated in the sauce. Plate and serve immediately with steamed rice!