Homemade General Tso's

A favorite Chinese food takeout dish...I set out to discover whether or not it was possible to create this delicious food without MSG (or any other mysterious ingredients) in a home kitchen. After a few tries, I believe I have been successful! It also has this richness which the normal stuff just cannot match.

Serve it with some delicious Botan rice(and maybe a vegetable or two) and there you have it!

Ingredients for sauce:

1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine or sake

1  cup hot broth or stock

1-2 tsp chili pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 cup cornstarch, blended with 1/4 cup water

Chopped scallions (optional)

Ingredients for chicken:

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, excess fat removed, cut into bite-sized chunks (can use steak tips or pork for this, too)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (it's packed full of umami flavor! Don't skip)
1 egg
1/2 cup cornstarch

Vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

Blend the sauce ingredients together, except the cornstarch mixture--keep that separate. Set aside.

Blend your meat ingredients together until fully coated and set aside. Heat about 1/5-2 inches of oil in a pot or high-sided pan over medium-high heat (the deeper the oil, the faster the cook time). Be sure the temperature rises to 375F with a kitchen thermometer. Don't let it get any hotter! 

Begin to add your chicken to the oil in batches, being careful that the pieces don't stick together. Each batch should hold about 6-9 chicken pieces, depending on the size of your pot. Once you add them in, check your thermometer. The temperature will have dropped to about 325-350F. Raise the temperature carefully back up to 375 while the batch is cooking. Once the pieces are a deep, golden brown (about 3-5 minutes), drain on a pan covered in paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. 

Once all of the meat is cooked, take your pot of hot oil off of the heat to cool down. Then, preheat a wok or non-stick pan to medium-high. Pour in your sauce and bring it to a simmer. Pour in about half of your cornstarch mixture and cook down until it begins to thicken. If you want it thicker, add the rest of your cornstarch mixture. Once you've got a thick, but still pour-able, sauce, add your fried chicken into the wok and toss. Sprinkle in chopped scallions to garnish.

Serve with rice and (maybe) some broccoli!

(My version with beef)

Roasted Peking Duck with Scallion Pancakes and Plum Sauce

If you want to get "cultured" in your house...well, it doesn't get more ethnic than this.

Peking, or Beijing, style duck is a very traditional Chinese dish. The duck is basted in molasses and spices, roasted slowly, and develops a delicious crispy brown skin and succulent, soft meat. The pancakes can be made crepe style, without the scallions, or thicker, and with them. Either way, they are a scrumptious accompaniment.

I've included the recipes for the duck itself, the pancakes, and also the amazing plum sauce that positively MUST be homemade to get the real effect.

Duck:
-1 duck (4-6 lb)
-1/2 cup molasses
-1/4 cup honey (I always use unpasteurized, fresh honey--it's a whole different animal)
-2 tbsp. soy sauce
-2 tablespoons 5 spice powder (1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. fennel seed, 1 tsp. star anise, and 1 tsp. szechuan peppercorns all ground together)

-1 bundle of scallions, chopped (for serving)
-1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (for serving)

Prepare the duck one day ahead of time.

First, grind up all of your spices. I did it the old school way, using my massive pestle and mortar. I generally add in a few things at a time, not all at once. You also have the option of using a spice grinder or food processor.

Next, combine the spices with your molasses, honey, and soy sauce. Pour about 1/4 cup of this into a small bowl and put it in the fridge for tomorrow.

Now get your duck prepped. Be sure to take out anything in the cavity (gizzards, kidneys, random sauce packets etc...) and while it's in the sink, pour just boiled water over the bird to remove any bacteria. Pat dry with paper towels, and set in a rack inside a roasting pan.

Now this is the fun part. Baste the bird with your molasses mixture, being sure to get the front and back, and also getting some in the cavity. You will see a gawgeous Beverly Hills duck by the time you are done.

Place it in the fridge overnight, uncovered. This will allow the sauce to dry.

The next day, when you are ready to bake, set the oven to 350F. Give the bird another baste with your remaining sauce and place it in the oven. Mine took about 1.5 hours to reach a 165F internal temperature.

Check the duck about half way through to be sure it's not browning too quickly. You may cover it with some tin foil to stop the browning process, if needed.



During the roasting process....

Plum Sauce: 
-1/3 cup hoisin sauce
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 tsp. sesame oil
-1 tbsp. soy sauce
-1 tbsp. corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp. water

Combine everything except corn starch mixture in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles. Take off of the heat and pour in the cornstarch and water. Pour into serving "vessel" and set aside to cool.


Scallion (or Plain) Pancakes:
-3/4 cup warm water
-1 cup flour
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. sesame oil
-2 tbsp. finely chopped scallions
-extra flour for dusting

Combine everything except scallions with a fork. Once you've got a good blob going, coat your hands and work surface in flour, and dump the dough out. Work it until you've got a nice, springy dough, adding flour as needed to thicken consistency. Divide this lump into 8 equally-sized pieces.

Take one of these bits and roll it out into a rectangle shape. Sprinkle some scallions along the edge, and roll up the rectangle into a log. Spin this log into a spiral shape, and roll it out again, to form a nice, round pancake-shape. Try to keep it between 1/8-1/4 inch thick, being sure not to smoosh the scallions too much. If you are making these without the scallions, you can make them thinner--that way you can wrap them easily around your duck! I made a combination of scallion and plain ones for variety. Plus, the thicker scallion pancakes are really good on their own--as an appetizer or snack.

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and drizzle in 1 tsp. sesame oil. Cook your pancakes until golden brown on each side.Leave to rest on paper towel, and cover with a damp towel, to keep them soft.

 *If you are making the scallion-less ones, be sure not to cook them more than a few minutes, or they will be more like Asian chips than pancakes.* The one below is thin, and has no scallions.

Back to the duck...

TO SERVE:

Once the duck is all finished cooking, pull it out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Prep your plates with:

-a pile of pancakes
-a scattering of chopped scallions and thinly sliced cucumber
-plum sauce

Carve your duck, and you can keep on that gorgeous skin, as there is a ton of flavor there. Serve your Peking Duck wrapped inside the pancakes along with your other fixin's. These are essentially Chinese tacos, guys.

(I had carrots when I made these the first time...just don't. They weren't as good as the cucumber.)

Pork Shumai

As always, I love all things Asian, so I thought I would give you another variation on the "dumpling." This one is heavier on the scallions than an average dumpling, and you can also make it with half ground shrimp and half pork--I just don't like seafood.

Check out my new Gesshin Uraku knife below! I really like it!

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground pork
-1 tbsp. ginger, sliced
-1 bunch of scallions, chopped
-1 carrot, finely chopped or shredded
-1 tbsp. soy sauce
-1 tsp. rice wine
-1 tsp. sesame oil
-1 tbsp. corn starch
-wonton wrappers

Place the pork in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add in all other ingredients (except the wrappers, of course) and pulse again to combine.

Assembly:

Form  a circle with your thumb and pointer finger, lay a wonton wrapper on top. Place a blob of filling (about a tablespoon) on the center of the wrapper and press it into the circle. Flatten off the top and bottom and press in all of the sides so it stays together. Make sure you leave the top open!

Steaming:

Prepare your wok by adding in about 2 inches of water and heating it to a simmer.

Place a circle of parchment or wax paper in the bottom of your steamer. Add a group of shumai, making sure they don't touch one another.

Wrap a cotton kitchen towel around the steamer top, to absorb the moisture from the steam. Cover the steamer. Place the steamer over the simmering water and let cook for 7-9 minutes, until cooked through.

Continue cooking in batches. You can also decorate the top with some sushi roe (orange, baby caviar) or chopped carrot.

Serve with rice and dumpling sauce!

Asian Potstickers

So I have already made some Asian Egg Rolls, so next, of course I should show you how to make dumplings! These are my absolute favorite food in the universe. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE pasta in any form--particularly dumplings. My secret pleasure is buying dumplings from the local Chinese restaurant.

These "potstickers" (I call them that because I use wonton wrappers to make them instead of homemade dumpling dough) are really easy to make. The sauce is my secret recipe--as close as you can get to the amazing Chinese restaurant stuff. Trust me, you won't find this anywhere else.


Dumpling Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. chopped spring onion
-1 tsp. chopped garlic
-1 tsp. chopped ginger
-1/8 tsp. chili powder
-1/4 cup black vinegar (sugar cane vinegar--you can find this at an Asian market)
-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
-2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. honey
-1 tsp. water

Combine everything, taste. Add more honey or water to taste. Serve at room temperature.


Ingredients for Potstickers:
-1lb. ground pork
-1/2lb. ground beef
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 inch of peeled ginger, sliced
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrot
- 6 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp. salt
-1 package of wonton wrappers (48)
To make the Potstickers:

1. Place all of the dumpling filling ingredients into your food processor.

 

 2. Blend until everything is all chopped up evenly and you can smell the garlic and ginger.

 3. Prepare a surface for your work, a small bowl of water, and a plate with a damp cloth, ready to cover the potstickers. Lay out your first wonton wrapper and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Dip your finger in the water and run it around all of the edges.

4. The next step is the folding. Honestly, you can just fold it in half--or whatever shape you want. For this fun shape, start by pressing two corners together in the center.

5. Next, fold in the other two corners, pinching the center together.

 6. Make sure it is entirely sealed, or it will fall apart when it cooks.

 7. Continue this process until you are out of meat and wonton wrappers.

8. To cook, preheat a wide pan to medium heat. Once hot heat radiates from it, add in 2 tsp. butter and 2 of oil. Let it coat the pan. Add in one layer of potstickers, being sure not to crowd the pan. 

 9. Let them sizzle away like this for 3-5 minutes, undisturbed. Pick one up to see if the bottom is brown enough.

 10. Next, you can either continue flipping them around and browning them--they will be nice and crispy this way--or you can add 2 tablespoons of water, and cover them quickly with a lid, and simmer them for 5-8 minutes until they are softened and steamed (these ones are pan fried).

 Ta-da! Beautiful.

Now, all you need it your sauce and some fixin's. 

Asian Egg Rolls

 When I was in high school, I had some friends from Indonesia who always brought homemade egg rolls to school for everyone. I was the biggest fan, to say the least! They are SO GOOD. One day, my friends informed me that their mother needed some help putting together a massive amount of egg rolls for a party, and she was wondering if I wanted to come and learn. So, of course I jumped on the opportunity.



The recipe here as well as the rolling technique comes directly from what I learned that day. These egg rolls are pretty easy to make and put together, and you can decide if you want to fry them or bake them in the oven when you are done.


Ingredients:

-1/2 lb. of ground pork
-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
-1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
-1/2 an onion, chopped
-1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
-3/4 cup of shredded carrots, chopped
-1 napa cabbage, chopped
-3 tbsp. soy sauce
-1 tbsp. sugar cane vinegar or rice vinegar

-1 package egg roll or spring roll wrappers (the egg roll wrappers are thicker--they both taste good)


Chop up all of your vegetables and toss them in a bowl.

Preheat your wok (or a deep-sided pan) to medium-high, and start cooking the pork.

Once it's browned, add in your garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. That is all the liquid you should add to this mixture. It is important that it isn't wet, or it will make the wrappers soggy.

Once this becomes fragrant, add all of your vegetables to the pan. Gently combine this with a spatula and continue stirring for 3-5 minutes, until it starts to simmer down.

 See how the cabbage relaxes as it cooks?

Continue simmering over medium heat until the carrots are softened. Set aside to cool.

 You can find egg roll or spring roll wrappers at most grocery stores, but you can also check out your local Asian market (I usually get the TYJ brand) . Get the biggest size you can find, though, because it's much easier to roll them up when you are a beginner :)

When the mixture is cooled, strain it so you can get rid of any extra liquid. Make sure you keep your wrappers covered with a damp towel, or they will shrivel up. Lay out a wrapper like a diamond on a flat surface. Add about 2 tsp. of mix 2/3 of the way down the pastry. 

Fold over the edge like this, creating a smaller triangle.

 Tighten the bundle by starting to roll it like this, tucking the mixture into the small triangle you just made.

Roll it another turn, until the bundle is even with the side-points of your diamond, then fold over the sides. Make sure it's snug!

Roll it the rest of the way up.

 Continue this for all of your egg rolls, making sure you place the finished ones in a container covered with a damp towel--keeping the loose corner tucked underneath.

Once complete, there are two ways you can cook them. First, you can fill a pan with 3/4 inch of vegetable oil and heat it on medium until a chunk of vegetable thrown in starts to sizzle and is covered with bubbles immediately. That means it's hot enough. If it smokes or starts spattering everywhere, TURN IT DOWN and take it off the heat. Using tongs, place some egg rolls in the oil, open face down, hold them in place for a few seconds to make sure they don't unravel, and let them sizzle away until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat. Place on paper towels.

 OR

You can preheat your oven to 375F, coat a pan with oil. Place your egg rolls and paint them or spray them with oil. Cook for 15 minutes and then flip, cooking until browned. The oven method makes the wrappers more crispy than crunchy, but it's a lot faster.

I always serve egg rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce. It's really the most tangy sauce for egg rolls. You'll love it. You can find it in the international section at Harris Teeter or at your local Asian Market.