General Tso Chicken

Every business trip for me always includes a dinner with the General. While most of my colleagues meet and go out the first night for dinner, I usually beg off in pursuit of something I consider decadent. It includes me, my favorite pair of jammies, Chinese food delivered, and a good movie. This probably sounds pretty mundane to a lot of people. But, when you’ve been a mother and wife for almost 17 years, trust me, it’s a luxury. Because this is one of my favorite dishes, I’ve always wanted to make it at home and find a way to get that sauce ‘just right’. In this recipe, I chose not to deep fry the chicken, but to stir fry it instead. Feel free to double the recipe, there’s nothing like leftovers!

General Tso Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 bunch fresh broccoli, chopped
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
½ cup green onion, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice

Sauce:
4 tsp cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp sambal oelek
1 tsp paprika
6 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar

1. Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat. When oil begins to shimmer add the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry until cooked through and slightly browned. Remove chicken to heated plate.

2. Place broccoli in the skillet and stir fry until crisp tender, approximately 6 minutes. When complete, add chicken back to the pan with broccoli.

3. For the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, water, fresh ginger, garlic, sambal oelek and paprika. Set aside.

4. In a large saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Cook without stirring until the mixture turns gold. Add the mixture from the bowl into the pan. Use a whisk to stir and simmer until the caramel has dissolved and become syrupy.

5. Add the sauce to the chicken and broccoli, stir well.

6. Put rice on large platter and pour the chicken and broccoli mixture on top. Sprinkle sliced green onions over top of dish.

Serves 4