General Tso’s favorite chicken

A dish fit for a general is certainly good enough for me. The usual way to make this dish is to deep-fry the chicken. Personally, I prefer stir-frying for a lighter fare. With the rich and flavorful sauce, it’s sure to be your favorite chicken dish as well.

Marinade

3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauce

1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons cooking oil
6 small dried red chilies
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Getting Ready

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in marinade and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Cooking

Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add chilies and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, green onions, and crushed chilies; stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

Place chicken on a serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts.

Makes 4 servings.

Taken from Martin Yan’s book “Martin Yan’s Feast” with permission. © Martin Yan. Published by Bay Books and Tapes, Inc. ISBN 0-912333-31-6.