General Tso Pheasant

The General Tso dish is more than likely the most well-known Hunanese dish in the world.  It is named after Tso Tsung-t’ang.  Tso was a successful 19^th century general that led several campaigns and is one of the best known historical Chinese figures.  The dish itself normally consists of lightly battered chicken in a sweet-sour sauce with a touch of spice.  Like a lot of Chinese food, the meal lends well to substituting the normal protein with something that you harvest.  In this case, pheasant was used splendidly.  Turkey would also be an excellent choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole boneless pheasant breast chopped into 1 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
• 1 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I prefer the reduced sodium)
• ¼ cup chicken stock (water can be used otherwise)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Process:

1. Preheat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Toss the pheasant in the cornstarch (reserve 1 tablespoon of the starch for your sauce) and put aside to build your sauce.
3. Combine by whisking the Hoisin sauce, stock, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and remaining cornstarch in a bowl.
4. Fry the pheasant until golden brown (be careful not to overcook the pheasant).
5. Remove the pheasant from the pan and drain the oil leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan.
6. Add the ginger, garlic, and cayenne to the remaining oil.
7. Cook until the garlic becomes aromatic.
8. Add back in the pheasant and the sauce.
9. Cook for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens
10. Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Chef’s note:  I use a wok for this dish.  It is not only functional but fun.  Using chopsticks adds a certain level of authenticity to eating this dish.