China
General Tsos Chicken
A Savora home adaptation of General Tso's chicken: crisp battered chicken with a sweet, tangy sauce. Rebuilt because the imported ingredients and method did not match; the original version is retained. The chicken weight and revised batter and sauce amounts are house choices, not recovered publisher measurements.
Loading kitchen…
Method
8 clear steps
- 1
Reserve 2 tbsp from the listed water for the sauce slurry. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken stock, duck sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar and gochujang. Duck sauce here means the sweet fruit-based condiment, not duck meat.
- 2
Whisk the flour, batter cornstarch, baking powder, salt, onion salt and garlic powder. Add the whole egg and the remaining listed water, then whisk to a coating batter.
- 3
Pat the chicken dry without washing it. Coat the pieces in the batter shortly before frying. Keep raw chicken and utensils separate from cooked food.
- 4
Heat neutral oil in a deep, heavy pan to 177°C / 350°F. Fry small batches, turning as needed and keeping the pieces separate. Start checking after 3-4 minutes; the thickest piece must reach 74°C / 165°F internally. Color and time alone do not establish doneness.
- 5
Transfer fully cooked chicken to a clean rack or paper-lined tray to drain. Discard batter that contacted raw chicken; clean the raw-chicken utensils and work surface.
- 6
In a clean wok or skillet, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, without scorching them. Sesame oil is for the sauce aromatics, not the frying bath.
- 7
Pour in the prepared sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir the sauce cornstarch with the reserved water until smooth, stir it into the simmering sauce, and cook until glossy and thick enough to coat the chicken.
- 8
Add the cooked chicken and toss briefly to coat. Fold in the chopped spring onions and serve immediately to keep the coating crisp.
