*** General Tso's Chicken

• 1 cup uncooked medium or short grain white rice

Marinade

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp white rice vinegar
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp chili sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Main dish

• 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil for frying, plus 1 Tbsp for stir-frying
• 8 dried whole red chilies, or substitute 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

Start the rice in a rice cooker with the recommended amount of water for the brand of rice you are using.

Marinate the chicken: in a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, and egg whites. Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a small dry pan, toast the sesame seeds for about 1 minute, until they become lightly brown and aromatic. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

Prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set aside.

Toss the 1 1/2 cups cornstarch with the salt and pepper in a large bowl or deep plate. Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess before frying.

Heat the peanut/vegetable oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot until it registers 350 F on an instant-read oil thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until lightly golden on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. (Optional: to get the chicken extra crispy, allow the chicken to drain and cool for 5 minutes, then put the chicken back in the work to fry for about another 30 seconds, until golden brown.)

Transfer the oil to a heat-proof container (it will take about 1 hour to fully cool, after which you can dispose of it). If you used a wok to deep-fry, you can reuse it to stir-fry the chicken next by just wiping down the insides with a paper towel. If you used a heavy-bottomed pot for deep-frying, switch to a clean wok or large skillet for stir-frying.

Heat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the chilies and garlic and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and heat briefly to thicken.

Return the chicken to the wok and stir well to coat with sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and scallions and serve.

Makes 4 servings, about 19 WW PointsPlus each.