# ISO recipe for Chinese chicken dish



## Dina (Jun 3, 2006)

Looking for a Chinese recipe: it's breaded crispy chicken pieces with a sweet and spicy sauce with some red Thai peppers in the sauce.  It's sort of sesame chicken but the sweet and spicy sauce is what I need.  Thanks.


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## Angie (Jun 3, 2006)

Well, not sure if this will help but this is what I've been making and in totally in love with it....

3 whole boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
a few drops of sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sauce for Sesame Chicken:
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup vinegar (Guide notes: I find that a little low. It all depends on how sweet you want the sauce; for a sweeter sauce use less vinegar)
1/4 cup cornstarch (corn flour)
1 cup sugar
2 TB dark soy sauce 
2 TB sesame oil 
1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired
1 clove garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

3 1/2 - 4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying


Directions:



Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce: mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken: add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.

Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.

Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice.


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## texasgirl (Jun 3, 2006)

That sounds like Szechuan chicken. I'll see if I can find a recipe for you to see if it is.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/szechuanpoultryrecipes/r/szechuanchicken.htm


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## Dina (Jun 3, 2006)

Just saw some pics of Szechuan chicken but it's not what I'm looking for. The chicken is breaded and fried (looks just like sesame chicken - http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&imgsz=all&imgc=&vf=photo&va=sesame+chicken&fr=&ei=UTF-8) but it has a sweet and very spicy Thai chili sauce. Thank you and hope one of us finds this recipe and it's name.


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## Saltygreasybacon (Jun 3, 2006)

Sounds like it might be General Tao's Chicken, I think that's the correct spelling, give that a searce.


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## SierraCook (Jun 3, 2006)

I agree it does sound like General Tso's chicken.  That dish is one of my favorites.  In the links below is a couple of recipes for General Tso's Chicken.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/general-tsos-chicken-8030.html?

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f24/general-tsos-recipe-22501.html?


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## texasgirl (Jun 4, 2006)

Sorry, but, the Szechuan chicken that I have eaten is breaded and fried. It just sounded the same. Hope you find what your looking for.


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## Dina (Jun 4, 2006)

Yes, it's General Tso Chicken.  I searched it and it looks just like the recipe I'm looking for.  Thank you so much.  Txgirl, I will give yours a try as well.


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## jennyema (Jun 5, 2006)

"Szechuan" chicken will be different everywhere you go.  It's a region of China, like Hunan and Shanghai.

A dish called "Hunan chicken" will probably come with black bean sauce, "Szechuan chicken" will probably have hot peppers and "Cantonese chicken" will probably have a mild white sauce.

Like "Southwest Chicken" might be grilled and spiced with cumin and chili powder, "Southern chicken" might be fried and "New England chicken" might be, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........  boiled with cabbage?

What you describe could be all kinds of things.  Genral Gao's.  Orange Chicken.  Sesame Chicken.  Or about 5 other things on the menu at my favorite chinese place.

Can you be more specific about how it tastes, what other ingredients are in it and how it's prepared?


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## Andy M. (Jun 5, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> ..."New England chicken" might be, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........ boiled with cabbage?...


 

Spoken like a true transplant...  New England gets no respect...


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## Dina (Jun 5, 2006)

Jenny,
The taste of the sauce is a very sweet fruit taste (nothing like sweet and sour sauce) and it has Thai peppers in it. You taste the sweetness of the it and the heat comes after. The chicken, of course, is simply breaded with flour and corn starch and deep fried. I will mess with different types of sauces and try to come up with it. BTW, I called the grocer where I buy this chicken from and they told me it's called General Tso chicken.


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## fil (Jun 28, 2006)

*breaded spicy/sweet chicken*

I'm looking for what sounds very close to Dina's description.  In a Chinese restaurant in my city I go to, they call it:

          Twice-cooked chicken

It's basically breaded fried chicken.  Not soggy, not overly crunchy, just perfect.  The dish comes with NO veggies.  The sauce is dark brown, sweet, and spicy.  The chiles I assume are Chinese as it's a chinese restaurant.   They're dried, small (1-2"), thin, and red.   Could be Mexican "Tree chiles" though...(they look very similar.)

Anyways, of course the sauce is the secret.  I assume there's sugar, as it's quite sweet.  A chinese co-worker said probably brown sugar.  I don't know about sesame oil , usually I can detect that, at least there's no strong taste of that in this dish. Could be though...   What else, who knows...   Maybe some sherry/rice wine? as the sauce (to my taste buds) is very rich.  But it's a _little _salty too, but not that much.   I guess I could experiment, but also was hoping to find it on the internet.  I'm just an amateur home chef guy, but have made my share of complicated dishes at home over the years....so based on my experiences that was my amateur description of the flavors.


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## Dina (Jun 28, 2006)

Fil,
It is General Tso chicken-just as you describe it too.  I've prepared it twice now and it is marvelous!  You'd need to get the Thai peppers or dried ones.  Let me know if you want the recipe and I'll post it or PM it to you.


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## nikkiev (Jun 30, 2006)

Oh my it does sound like General Tso's and I would be interested in the recipe too if you don't mind. I LOVE general Tso's and so does my usually picky 7 year old. I've tried a few recipes but they are never even close. One had me using maple syrup and it was kinda good but not quite it.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 1, 2006)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> Spoken like a true transplant...  New England gets no respect...



Not on topic, but I think it needs to be here.

Goodweed's idea of New England Chicken, in fact I'm going to create this recipe for you right here, right now, in honor of the New Englanders on this site.

Ingredients:
1 Large Roasting Chicken
1 large yellow Onion, cut coarsely
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
salt
pepper
1 tbs. Rubbed Sage
1 tsp. finely-ground Black Pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup melted butter
1/8 cup Maple Syrup.

Combine the rice, almonds, sage salt and pepper.  Saute the mushrooms in butter until just cooked.  Add the onions and sweat until soft and sweet.  Mix in  with the rice and stuff. 

Soften the butter and mix with the syrup.  Fire up the charcoal or gas grill.  If using charcoal, configure in two piles with room for a drip pan between them.  Stuff the bird with the rice and stuff.  Wipe the chicken clean with a damp paper towel.  Dry the bird with more paper towels.  Place sticks of maple into the fire to create smoke.

Place the bird over the drip pan and baste with the syrup/butter.  Cover and close vents to the half open position.  Cook for 12 minutes per pound, basting every ten minutes or so with the syrup/butter.  Check with a meat thermometer.  Remove when the temp. reads 155 F.

Serve with acorn squash or sweet potatoes and cornbread.

Now that yells *New England* loud and clear. 

To make it even better, add clams, scallops, or any of the other seafood for which the area is famous, to the stuffing.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 1, 2006)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> Spoken like a true transplant...  New England gets no respect...



Not on topic, but I think it needs to be here.

Goodweed's idea of New England Chicken, in fact I'm going to create this recipe for you right here, right now, in honor of the New Englanders on this site.

Ingredients:
1 Large Roasting Chicken
1 large yellow Onion, cut coarsely
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
salt
pepper
1 tbs. Rubbed Sage
1 tsp. finely-ground Black Pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup melted butter
1/8 cup Maple Syrup.

Combine the rice, almonds, sage salt and pepper.  Saute the mushrooms in butter until just cooked.  Add the onions and sweat until soft and sweet.  Mix in  with the rice and stuff. 

Soften the butter and mix with the syrup.  Fire up the charcoal or gas grill.  If using charcoal, configure in two piles with room for a drip pan between them.  Stuff the bird with the rice and stuff.  Wipe the chicken clean with a damp paper towel.  Dry the bird with more paper towels.  Place sticks of maple into the fire to create smoke.

Place the bird over the drip pan and baste with the syrup/butter.  Cover and close vents to the half open position.  Cook for 12 minutes per pound, basting every ten minutes or so with the syrup/butter.  Check with a meat thermometer.  Remove when the temp. reads 155 F.

Serve with acorn squash or sweet potatoes and cornbread.

Now that yells *New England* loud and clear. 

To make it even better, add clams, scallops, or any of the other seafood for which the area is famous, to the stuffing.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Andy M. (Jul 1, 2006)

Goodweed of the North said:
			
		

> Not on topic, but I think it needs to be here.
> 
> Goodweed's idea of New England Chicken, in fact I'm going to create this recipe for you right here, right now, in honor of the New Englanders on this site.
> 
> ...


 

I appreciate the thought, Goodweed.  I'll put this at the top of the list of recipes to make next.

However, I'll stick to the squash and skip the sweet potatoes (not big in New England).


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## silentmeow (Jul 2, 2006)

I have heard that the chicken can be frozen after the first frying.  This would sure make it easier and the house wouldn't smell like oil.  I love General Tso's and want to make it for my son when/if he visits this summer. Has anyone ever frozen the chicken and then finished the dish later?


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## grok (Jul 2, 2006)

hi!  this is my first post here.  i love general tso chicken as well.  

iron chef makes a very tasty general tso sauce that you can find in your grocery store.  even my friend that is not into 'prefab' food just loves this stuff.


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## fil (Jul 4, 2006)

Thanks Dina, I found your posted tweaked recipe, on this link:   http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f24/general-tsos-recipe-22501.html

I'll give it a try, but I have to say I've never noticed any (obvious) peanut, ginger, vinegar, or orange juice (citrus flavor) in the recipe at my restaurant.   I'll probably definitely leave out peanut due to my concern about nut allergies/aflatoxins.   Also, next time I go to the restaurant, I'll see if General Tso's chicken is on their menu.  If it is, I'm guessing that's a unique recipe.  Maybe I'll order Tso's just to compare.


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## Dina (Jul 6, 2006)

Hey Grok,
I found the very same sauce in my grocery store yesterday.  I'm in heaven with it!

You're welcome Fil.  You can leave out the peanut oil/butter and it will be alright.  Enjoy it.


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