- HubPages»
- Food and Cooking»
- World Cuisines»
- East Asian Cuisine
Hunan Chicken & Broccoli in Ginger Wine Sauce (General Tso's Chicken)
General Tso's Chicken & Broccoli in Ginger Wine Sauce
Hunan Recipes
General Tso's Chicken
- General Tsos Chicken - Chinese Recipes - a Chinese Recipe for General Tsos Chicken
General Tsos Chicken - named after General Tso himself, General Tsos Chicken is based on an authentic Hunan recipe.
===================
General Tso’s Chicken and Broccoli in Ginger Wine Sauce
===================
Named after Tso Tsung-tang, a Hunanese general and statesman of the Qing dynasty, this spicy chicken dish did not actually originate in Hunan. Conflicting stories claim that it was either invented by a Hunanese chef in Taiwan after the nationals fled the mainland, or by Chinese chefs in New York City.
-----------------------------
Either way, this spicy, crispy chicken dish is one of the most popular Hunan items on restaurant menus here in America. It is usually shown accompanied by broccoli which, is never listed in the ingredients, so I have included a recipe for broccoli in ginger wine sauce that you can serve with it.
-----------------------------
Although recipes usually call for the use of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, I use chicken breasts instead, which are easier for most people to work with. Just as there are conflicting stories about its origin, there are several slightly different recipes given for how to make it. I have included a composite, which appeals to me personally.
-----------------------------
Since broccoli is usually shown with this dish but never actually included in the recipe itself, I have included a simple recipe for broccoli in ginger wine sauce that you can serve with it. It is not hot and not necessarily from Hunan, but I read somewhere that only about one third of the dishes in Sichuan and Hunan are hot, yet that is all that we see on menus here in America.
=================
General Tso’s Chicken
Difficulty:
Easy
Preparation Time:
60 Minutes
Cooking Time:
30 Minutes
===================
Marinade:
1 Lb. of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into one-inch cubes
1 Egg beaten
1Teaspoon Dry White Wine
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Pepper to taste
I Cup of Cornstarch
2 Cups of Oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl except for the oil and the cornstarch. Place the cornstarch in a gallon plastic bag and add half of the meat at a time and shake until the pieces are completely covered and dry. Repeat with the second half. Shake of the excess cornstarch and refrigerate while you prepare the other ingredients.
.==================
Seasonings:
2 Teaspoons Minced Ginger Root
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
3 Scallions cut into pea-size pieces including the green part
6 Dried red Chili peppers cut into small pieces
½ Teaspoon White Sesame Seeds for the garnish (optional)
===================
Sauce Mixture:
1 Tablespoons Black Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Ground Bean Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dry White Wine
2 Teaspoons Chinese Red Vinegar
2 Teaspoons sugar
¼ -Cup Chicken Broth
2 Teaspoons Cornstarch mixed with 1 Tablespoon Cold Water. (Use it to thicken the sauce at the end.)
1 Teaspoon of Sesame seed Oil
==================
Cooking Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a pan that is large enough that it will be less than half full once the chicken is added. That will keep the hot oil from boiling over and starting a fire, but just in case keep the cover handy.
- Add the chicken mixture half at a time and cook about 30 seconds until they turn white. Remove them with a strainer or slotted spoon and repeat with the second half.
- Transfer two tablespoons of oil to a large heavy frying pan and lightly brown the ginger root, garlic, chili peppers and scallions
- Then stir in the sauce mixture and continue cooking until it begins to bubble.
- Finally, add back the blanched chicken and bring it all back to a boil.
- Finally, stir in the cornstarch mixture and when it thickens, mix in the sesame seed oil. Garnish with sesame seeds if you desire.
====================
Broccoli in Ginger Wine Sauce
Difficulty:
Easy
Preparation Time:
30 Minutes
Cooking Time:
30 Minutes
1 Pound of Broccoli cut into finger sized pieces (exclude the thick stem pieces)
2 Slices of Ginger Root the size of quarters
3 Cloves of Garlic peeled and crushed
3 Tablespoons of Oil
==================
Sauce Mixture:
2 Tablespoons Thin Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Black Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
¼ Cup Dry white Wine
I Teaspoon Cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons Water
====================
Cooking Instructions:
- Blanch the broccoli for 60 seconds in boiling water. Plunge into cold water to set the color and drain.
- Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan, brown the ginger and garlic and then discard them.
- Add back the blanched broccoli, stir in the sauce mixture and cook covered for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture, stir-fry for 30 seconds more and serve hot.
================================
General Tso's Chicken
More Chinese recipes by rjsadowski
- Sichuan Spicy Shrimp
This recipe for Sichuan spicy shrimp is easy to make and very tasty. The shrimp are marinated in a thin batter and then deep fried. They are then stir-fried in a spicy sauce made with ginger, scallions, garlic, chili peppers, ketchup and sesame seed - Sichuan Spicy Beef Stew (Chinese Comfort Food)
Sichuan has more beef dishes than most other Chinese provences and their spicy beef stew is considered to be comfort food. Made with star anise, Sichuan peppercorns and chili bean sauce it is slowly simmered until you get a tasty, spicy but not too h - Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken (Spicey Chicken with Peanut...
When you think of Sichuan food you usually think of Kung Pao chicken. Named after a Chinese government official who liked to serve peppery food, the level of heat is controlled by the number of dried chili peppers that you add - as many as eight. Thi - Sichuan Pockmarked Woman's Spiced Bean Curd
This is a well known Sichuan recipe. The wife of a Sichuan cook named Chan invented this dish. She was severely pockmarked and hence the name. Normally, bean curd can be rather bland and uninteresting, but not here. This dish is hot enough to make yo - Sichuan Sliced Chicken Breast Salad (Pong-pong Chick...
Hacked chicken usually refers to chicken that is cut into slices and served cold with some type of sauce poured over it. This recipe calls for poached chicken breasts cut into slices and laid out on a bed of cucumber slices and scallion slivers. Fina - Hunan Spicey Stir-fried Scallops (Lake Dongting Scal...
Lake Dongting,in norteastern Hunan province, is the second largest fresh water lake in China. This recipe for preparing scallops has a delicious sauce made with mandarin orange peel, chili peppers, ketchup, black soy sauce, garlic and ginger. The sca - Chinese Velvet Chicken Lo Mein (Tossed Noodles)
In Cantonese,