ATK's General Tso's Chicken
From America's Test Kitchen "Special Collector's Edition: Best-Ever Recipes." It's also been published on the ATK website for Cooks Country.
Notes:
1. If you make only half a recipe, do not half the sauce, flour mixture, egg whites or frying oil.
2. You can make the sauce ahead of time.
Marinade and Sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl cornstarch
3 Tbl sugar (originally omitted by mistake)
1-1/2 cup water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbl vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbl grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Coating and Frying
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cup vegetable oil
FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE:
1. Whisk the hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a bowl.
2. Combine 6 Tbl of the hoisin mixture and the chicken in a zipper-lock bag; refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add 2 C of the hoisin mixture and simmer, whisking constantly, until dark brown and thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover and keep the sauce warm. (You could also make this sauce ahead of time and re-heat it later.)
FOR COATING AND FRYING, after marinating the chicken:
1. Whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy.
2. Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining hoisin mixture in a second shallow dish until the mixture resembles course meal. (I used a hand held pastry blender).
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Have a large plate/small platter ready. Toss half of the chicken with the egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to the plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
5. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fat thermometer onto the side of the Dutch oven.)
6. Fry half of the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken to a paper-towel lined plate. Return the oil to 350 degrees and repeat with the remaining chicken.
TO SERVE: Warm the sauce over medium-low heat until simmering, about 1 minute. Add the crisp chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.
Notes:
1. If you make only half a recipe, do not half the sauce, flour mixture, egg whites or frying oil.
2. You can make the sauce ahead of time.
Marinade and Sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl cornstarch
3 Tbl sugar (originally omitted by mistake)
1-1/2 cup water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbl vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbl grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Coating and Frying
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cup vegetable oil
FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE:
1. Whisk the hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a bowl.
2. Combine 6 Tbl of the hoisin mixture and the chicken in a zipper-lock bag; refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add 2 C of the hoisin mixture and simmer, whisking constantly, until dark brown and thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover and keep the sauce warm. (You could also make this sauce ahead of time and re-heat it later.)
FOR COATING AND FRYING, after marinating the chicken:
1. Whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy.
2. Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining hoisin mixture in a second shallow dish until the mixture resembles course meal. (I used a hand held pastry blender).
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Have a large plate/small platter ready. Toss half of the chicken with the egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to the plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
5. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fat thermometer onto the side of the Dutch oven.)
6. Fry half of the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken to a paper-towel lined plate. Return the oil to 350 degrees and repeat with the remaining chicken.
TO SERVE: Warm the sauce over medium-low heat until simmering, about 1 minute. Add the crisp chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.
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