General Tso sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (shaoxing wine) or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Chicken Stock
4 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Corn starch
2 teaspoons Canola oil
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Ginger, grated
2 teaspoons Scallion
8 pieces Chinese Chillies
PREPARATION
Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. Set aside.
Combine oil, garlic, ginger, minced scallions, and red chilies in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are aromatic and so, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet, making sure to scrape out and sugar or starch that has sunk to the bottom. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute.
I generally double this recipe and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I also leave out the dried red chilis and add them to the final recipe if needed. My wife does not like the chilis, so I leave them out if she is going to be eating the recipe, too. The sauce is better if I use the actual shaoxing wine instead of a substitute.
I use this sauce with the crispy fried tofu, or popcorn chicken that I bake in the convection oven. It is good for a quick fix of good Chinese food.
