General Tao Chicken - Recipe by Vincent Lim

Ingredients

250 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp minced ginger pinch of white pepper
1 Tbs Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1 Tbs sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs corn?our (cornstarch)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Batter:

75 g self-raising ?our
30 g corn?our (cornstarch)
135mL water

Sauce:

2 Tbs minced garlic
8 whole dried chillies
2 spring onions (scallions), cut into 4 cm batons
3 tsp cooking caramel (karamel masakan)
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs oyster sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Pinch of YumYum or MSG (optional)

To serve:

Sesame seeds, optional
Spring onion, thinly sliced, optional

Method

In a large bowl, combine the cubed chicken thighs with the chicken bouillon powder, minced ginger, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt and cornflour. Mix everything thoroughly to ensure the chicken is evenly coated, then let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the batter, mix the self-raising flour and cornflour in a separate bowl. Gradually add the water while whisking until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

Fill a wok or large pot halfway full with vegetable oil and heat to 180 C over medium–high heat. You can also test the oil with a wooden chopstick – if bubbles form around it when lowered in, the oil is hot enough. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken to the batter, stirring to coat each piece evenly.

Carefully lower the battered chicken pieces into the hot oil one by one, frying them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Fry the chicken for 5-7 minutes per batch, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain in a sieve or on paper towels. Set aside the oil for future use.

In the now-empty wok or pot, combine all the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the fried chicken to the wok and toss until the chicken is evenly coated in the sauce. Top with sesame seeds and spring onions (if using) and serve immediately.

Credits: This is an edited extract from The Wolf of Wok Street by Vincent Lim, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Alana Dimou.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from The Wolf of Wok Street by Vincent Lim, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Alana Dimou.