Chapter 861: Worthy of Its Reputation as One of America’s Most Popular Chinese Dishes (Part 2)

Chapter 861 -600: Worthy of Its Reputation as One of America’s Most Popular Chinese Dishes (Part 2)

As the salt grains in the pot gradually dissolved into the soup, Huang Jun picked up the fish and placed them one by one into the pot, along with some tofu cubes that had been blanched in saltwater beforehand.

As for pickled vegetables, pickled bamboo shoots, and chili peppers, he didn’t use any of them.

Mostly because the main characters of the lunch were the children, too much chili would obviously be unsuitable.

Moreover, dipping sauce was prepared; those who like spicy flavors only need to add some roasted chili powder to the sauce to satisfy their craving for spiciness.

While cooking the sour fish soup, Huang Jun began preparing the crowning dish on today’s menu—General Tso’s Chicken.

Although the process for making this dish isn’t complex, even foreign chefs can easily handle it, the ingredients are quite sophisticated.

Besides chicken thigh meat as the main ingredient, you also need to prepare dried chili peppers, egg yolks, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, rice vinegar, white sugar, dry starch, water starch, and minced ginger, garlic, and scallions among other seasonings.

Once everything was prepared, Huang Jun put the deboned, cut-up chicken thigh meat into a bowl, added the appropriate amount of salt and cooking wine, carefully mixed it evenly, and set it aside to marinate for flavor.

While waiting for the chicken to marinate, he started preparing the sauce.

He took a large plate, and sequentially added rice vinegar, white sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and minced ginger, garlic, and scallions, finally adding some water starch, and stirring thoroughly until smooth, setting it aside.

About ten minutes later, the chicken was perfectly marinated, and Huang Jun added the prepared egg yolks, mixing evenly again to ensure each piece of chicken was gently coated with the egg yolk mixture, so the fried chicken would be golden and appetizing.

He heated the oil in the pan.

As the oil temperature gradually rose, he skillfully sprinkled dry starch evenly over the chicken, stirring carefully to ensure each piece of chicken was covered with a thin layer of dry starch.

Then, he carefully placed the chicken pieces one by one into the hot oil.

Several details were crucial during this process: firstly, timing the addition of the starch was key, it shouldn’t be too early to avoid ruining the crispy texture of the chicken; secondly, when frying chicken, all pieces should not be tossed into the oil at once but placed individually, ensuring each piece gets evenly heated, resulting in crisp exteriors with tender insides.

Moreover, when frying chicken, the quantity for each batch should be controlled, not too much, to avoid the oil temperature dropping suddenly, which could affect the color and texture of the finished product.

To maintain a stable oil temperature and ensure optimal frying results, a larger pot should be chosen for frying, so the oil temperature remains stable, and the resulting fried chicken remains crispy and delicious.

When the chicken pieces in the pot were fried to a tempting golden hue, he quickly took a slotted spoon, scooped them out one by one, and placed them on a rack to let the excess oil drip off slowly.

Next, he poured out the hot oil from the pot, leaving only a thin layer of oil at the bottom.

He adjusted the stove to a low flame and poured in pre-cut dried chili slices, with a precise amount to ensure the dish satisfies the flavor requirements while accommodating the taste preferences of the children.

He held the spatula, slowly stir-frying the chili slices in the pot.

Soon.

A tempting aroma of chili gently rose from the pot, permeating the air.

He poured the previously prepared sauce into the pot and began simmering.

Under the heat, the sauce in the pot gradually became thick and the aroma became more and more enticing, filling the entire kitchen with a delightful fragrance.

He continued to simmer until the sauce became thick and translucent, before placing the crispy golden fried chicken back into the pot.

With skilled movements, he quickly stir-fried, ensuring each piece of chicken was tightly enveloped by the rich sauce, fully absorbing its essence.

Finally, he perfectly plated the delectable dish of General Tso’s Chicken, presenting it elegantly.

The entire cooking process actually wasn’t complicated, but the final flavors were exceptionally outstanding.

The completed dish was golden and enticing in color, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, with a rich flavor profile combining sour, sweet, spicy, and fresh tastes, truly deserving its fame as one of the most popular Chinese dishes in America.

…

On the spacious road outside Dorami Kindergarten, Yue Xifeng, Xie Wenze, and Wei Zhenxin were on patrol duty, and when they arrived nearby, a tempting aroma carried by the wind quietly caressed their noses, unconsciously causing them to pause and savor this invitation to their taste buds.

“Hmm, it smells so good…” Xie Wenze’s nose twitched.

Wei Zhenxin swallowed subconsciously and agreed, “It really smells good, feels like there’s a scent of fried chicken, and vaguely a fragrance of sour soup. These aromas seem to be coming from Dorami Kindergarten!”

Xie Wenze laughed, “Zhenxin, be more confident, please remove the words ‘feels like’ and just conclude it’s Dorami Kindergarten, okay!”

Wei Zhenxin touched his head and curiously looked towards the kindergarten entrance, “Speaking of which, why are there so many cars parked outside Dorami Kindergarten today? Even the TV station’s car is here? Is there some special event going on?”

Yue Xifeng’s gaze swept over those vehicles, especially the license plates, understandingly saying, “Judging by the plates, it should be the education bureau’s car…

Don’t ask why I know.

If asked, it’s because I’ve seen them before…

Xie Wenze looked at Yue Xifeng, puzzled by a question, “Master, what do you think the people from the education bureau are doing at Dorami Kindergarten this time?”