General Pow's Chicken

1 ½ lbs. chicken thigh meat, skinless and boneless, cut into bite-size chunks

¼ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided use

1 garlic clove, pressed through garlic press

4-6 cups peanut (or vegetable) oil for frying

¾ cup cornstarch

2 eggs, whisked

1 cup rice flour

2 green onions, chopped

1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

General Pow’s Sauce (recipe below)



Place the cut-up chicken thigh meat into a bowl, add the soy sauce, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the garlic, mix together, and marinate the chicken for about 15-20 minutes.



While the chicken marinates, prepare General “Pow’s!” Sauce, and set aside.



Next, heat the peanut or vegetable oil in a medium or medium-large size pot, and bring the temperature slowly up to between 350°- 360° while you work on coating your chicken pieces.



To coat the chicken pieces, add the corn starch to a large, ziplock bag; add the whisked eggs to a bowl, and add the rice flour plus the remaining ½ teaspoon black pepper to another, large ziplock bag; take the chicken pieces out of the marinade, and working in two batches per step, add them to the bag with the cornstarch, shaking very well to coat each piece, and then remove the pieces and place them onto a plate for 5 minutes to set; next, add the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces to the eggs and coat, then add them directly into the rice flour bag, and shake very well to coat the pieces; remove the pieces from the bag and place back onto the plate, and allow to set for 5 minutes.



To fry the chicken pieces, work in batches by adding about 1/3 of the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil, and frying for about 5 minutes until a pale, golden color (they will not be golden-brown, but a bit lighter on the outside); remove the fried pieces, and place onto a wire rack set over paper towels to drain; repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces until all are fried.



To finish the dish, place a large heavy-bottom pan or skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat, and add in General Pow’s Sauce; once nice and hot, add all of the fried chicken pieces directly into the sauce, toss very well to coat, and turn the glazed chicken out into a large bowl or serving platter; garnish with the chopped green onions and sesame seeds, and serve with rice.



General Pow’s Sauce



1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press

2 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons plum wine (optional)

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon, scant, soy sauce

1 ½ teaspoons chili paste (“sambal oelek”)

½ teaspoon grated ginger

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon, scant, orange zest

1 cup chicken stock



Combine all ingredients through the orange zest in a bowl, whisking well to combine and incorporate the corn starch; add the chicken stock into the ingredients, whisk to blend, then add the entire mixture to a small pot set over medium heat, and bring to the simmer, whisking occasionally; simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and is glossy; set aside and keep warm until ready to add to the fried chicken pieces.