General Tsao's Chicken

3/4 lb Boneless chicken breast

2 ts Dark soy sauce

2 ts wine or dry Sherry

1 ts Finely chopped ginger root

1 ts Cornstarch

1 ts Sesame oil

1/3 c Peanut oil

2 Dried red chilies, cut in

-half lengthwise 1 tb Coarsely chopped fresh

-orange peel or 2 ts Soaked and coarsely chopped

-dried citrus peel 1/2 ts Finely ground roasted

-Sichun peppercorns 2 ts Dark soy sauce

1/4 ts Salt

1 ts Sugar

1/2 ts Sesame oil

Cut chicken into thin slices, 2 inches long, cutting against the grain. Put it into a bowl together with the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, cornstarch and 1 ts sesame oil. Mix well, let mixture marinate for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet until it is very hot. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon. Add it to the pan and stir-fry it for 2 minutes until it browns. Remove it and leave to drain in a colander or sieve. Pour off most of the oil, leaving about 2 ts. Reheat the pan over a high heat and add the dried chilies. Stir-fry them for 10 seconds, then return the chicken to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for 4 minutes, mixing well. Serve immediately over white rice.