The Foodie Files

About a month ago my brother left town to record a new record with his band, Dinner and a Suit.  Several weeks and Lord only knows how many bowls of Ramen later, he's back with what I'm confident will be a hit CD, lots of fun stories, and a look in his eye that suggests he hasn't eaten real food in no less than twenty days.  As his one and only sister, I had to rectify that last part immediately.  I made him General Tso's chicken because it's pretty much his favorite thing in the world and he's pretty much my favorite person in the world.  It only seemed logical.  I learned a lot about General Tso's chicken in the process...most notably that it is easy to make but will take you the majority of your adult life to cook.  The recipe I used came out great, however, so I definitely wanted to share.  Be sure to give yourself a solid hour for the chicken portion of this meal because- believe me- General Tso puts up quite a fight.

Ingredients:
1/4 low sodium soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cornstarch
2 lbs cubed chicken tenderloins
Extra virgin olive oil
Trader Joe's General Tso's Sauce (my saving grace- I haven't attempted this sauce from scratch just yet)

Create Cornstarch Slurry by mixing soy sauce, egg and cornstarch.

Mix the slurry as thoroughly as possible- first with a fork, then with a mixing spoon.  The texture should be outrageously thick.  In fact, if you're not thinking 'something must have gone horribly wrong', then consider that a bad sign.  Check out the picture below- looks awful, doesn't it?  Thus, we're headed down the right road.

After you've mixed your slurry, start to mix in your chicken a few pieces at a time.  Again, it doesn't seem like the mixture could possibly be compatible with the chicken but trust me...it works.  Heat extra virgin olive oil in a wok or skillet on medium high and toss in about eight pieces of coated chicken at a time. 

Ideally, you want the chicken crispy on the outside and tender on the inside so adjust your heat accordingly.  Remember: the hotter the oil the crispier the chicken, but be sure not to keep it so hot that the outside burns before the inside has a chance to cook.  After your pieces are a nice golden brown, remove them from the oil onto a plate covered with doubled-up paper towels and throw the next batch in.  Repeat until finished.  After all your chicken is complete, place in a large bowl.  Mix chicken with your General Tso's sauce and you've got a masterpiece.  I served it with asparagus and toasted sesame seeds, salad with ginger dressing and brown rice.  Despite the fact that Chinese food is definitely more Joey's thing than mine, I actually quite liked it.  Hope you do too!