General Tang’s Chicken
2 min readZuo Zong Tangfi
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm(1 inch) pieces
1.2 litres(2pints) groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying MARINADE
1teaspoon salt
Vteaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon light soy sauce
2teaspoons shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1teaspoon sesame oil
2teaspoons cornflour
BATTER
2tablespoons cornflour
50g plain flour
1teaspoon baking powder
150ml(4pint) water
ateaspoon salt
1teaspoon groundnut or vegetable oil
1teaspoon sesame oil
SAUCE
112tablespoons groundnut or vegetable oil
5dried red chillies, halved
5garlic cloves, finely sliced
1teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
300 ml(2pint) chicken stock or water
2teaspoons white rice vinegar
1teaspoon cornflour, blended with 1 teaspoon water to a smooth paste Portuguese chicken(Hong Kong) The influences of Hunan,a province in southern China well known for its fiery cuisine, are obvious in the spicy yet sweet flavours of this dish-it certainly has ‘ tang!
1. Combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Blend all the batter ingredients together in a blender until it is smooth with no lumps. Strain the batter through a sieve if necessary. Combine the batter with the chicken.
3. For the sauce, heat a saucepan over a medium heat until it is hot and add the oil. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add the chillies and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until the garlic begins to brown Add the salt, sugar, stock or water and vinegar and bring the mixture to the boil. Add the cornflour paste and return to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4.Heat a wok over a high heat until it is hot，then add the oil for deep-frying.When the oil is hot and slightly smoking，remove the chicken from the batter with tongs and deep-fry in 2 or 3 batches until golden and crispy.Drain well on kitchen paper and set on a warm platter.Immediately pour the sauce over the chicken and serve at once，with plain rice and a vegetable dish.
