General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 green onions, sliced, greens and whites divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Salt and white or black pepper, as desired
• 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Add the chicken to a large Ziploc bag, pour in 6 Tbsp of the hoisin mixture, seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. While the chicken marinates, warm 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the white parts of the green onions, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Pour 2 cups of the hoisin mixture into the skillet, keeping the small amount that remains for later. Season with salt and white pepper to taste, if needed, and cook while stirring until the sauce thickens. Take the skillet off the heat and cover it.
3. In a shallow dish, whisk the egg whites briskly until they look foamy, then set them aside. In another shallow dish, mix the cornstarch, flour and baking soda. Add the remaining hoisin mixture and stir until the texture looks like coarse meal.
4. Pour 4 cups oil into a dutch oven and heat it over medium heat to 350 degrees F. While it heats, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, lift it from the marinade, shake away the extra, and set it on a large plate lined with several paper towels. Top with more paper towels and pat the chicken dry.
5. Add half of the chicken to the egg whites and turn the pieces to coat them. Lift them out, letting the excess drip away, then move them right into the cornstarch mixture. Toss until evenly coated, separating any pieces that cling together or coating just a few at a time, then transfer them to a plate. Coat the remaining chicken the same way.
6. Cook the coated chicken in batches in the hot oil, using three batches for all of the chicken so the pot is not crowded and the oil temperature does not fall too much. Fry until the chicken is golden and cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes, turning the pieces once as they cook. Move the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then fry the remaining chicken the same way.
7. Set the sauce over medium-low heat and warm it through. Add the chicken to a large bowl, pour on the warm sauce, and toss until everything is coated. Serve warm with the sliced green onion tops and optional sesame seeds, if desired.