The Only Way to Fry...

Somehow, Andy was only recently exposed to General Tso's Chicken and it seems to be a favorite of his. We usually get an order from Hop Shing, located a short distance away in the Publix shopping center. I previously stated a rule here on The Eighth Wonder regarding the ability to cook anything I pay someone else to cook for me (and besides, "Chinese" food is something we take for granted - who cooks their own?)

So tonight it was time to try a new recipe - the previous attempt at it was a flop. I googled around and found the decent recipe here on Recipezaar.

The author was a little enthusiastic about the 'cornstarch slurry', but I had to add just a little water to get it out of its 'Non Newtonian' state - mix it up and you'll see what I mean.

[Update: Halve the recipe... it makes enough for an army. Also.. Mix the 'sauce' first in a mason jar, then it's ready to go (you'll need to shake before you pour - the cornstarch settles.) When you thicken the sauce after the saute, be sure to whisk or stir - again the conrstarch settles and stands the chance to burn at the bottom of your wok or pan.]

I also added a new tool to my kitchen - a Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven (blue), and I can now say that no one should be without one. It is the only way to fry. Two inches of Corn Oil (yeah, I know - probably not the healthiest, but the smoke point is high, making for an apartment friendly frying), and it won't splatter out of the high-sided bowl. I also wasn't chasing the temperature of the oil around the whole time, which made for a stress free process.

A batch of battered chicken later, cook up the sauce, combine... viola! General Tso's Chicken as one might expect from your corner 'Chinese' restaurant.

Here's a few pics (sorry, none of the finished product... it was gone before I had a chance to snap a photo):