🇨🇳🇺🇸 My dad's General Tso's Chicken (左宗棠鸡) - A Chinese American Icon

Watch Daddy Lau teach us how to make General Tso's Chicken, a dish he's made thousands of times in his 50 years as a Chinese chef.

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👩‍🍳 JOIN THE CANTO COOKING CLUB 👩‍🍳
Develop the intuition and foundation to cook Cantonese food with exclusive classes from Daddy Lau!

Join the club: https://bit.ly/3HCJcde

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🍴 RECIPE + INGREDIENTS🍴

Check out our blog for an adjustable list of ingredients and step-by-step videos:
https://madewithlau.com/recipes/gener...

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If you enjoy these videos and want to support us being able to continue creating content for many years to come, we’d love for you to consider becoming a patron of Made With Lau.
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👋 CONNECT WITH US 👋

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🔗 LINKS MENTIONED 🔗

The Search for General Tso: https://amzn.to/3bF7rZC

On Wok Hei:    • 😍  How to Make Chow Fun (蝦炒粉) | Daddy...  

Additional recommended reading/watching

Omsom's photo essay on why they don't use the word "authentic":   / cmsl-dnbac4  

@ChineseCookingDemystified on "Why Chinese Food uses so much from the Americas" -    • Why Chinese Food uses so much from th...  ​

Atlas Obscura on how Monterey's once-thriving Chinese community was forced out - https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...

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🍳 COOKWARE WE USE/LOVE 🍳

- Electric Burner: https://geni.us/electricburner
- Non-Stick Wok: https://geni.us/nonstickwok
- Carbon Steel Wok: https://geni.us/carbonsteelwok
- Non-Stick Pan: https://shrsl.com/305jb
- Carbon Steel Pan: https://shrsl.com/305j9
- Stainless Steel Skillet: https://shrsl.com/305j8
- Cookware Set: https://shrsl.com/305j7
- 8 Quart Pot: https://shrsl.com/305j6
- Cookware Collections: https://shrsl.com/305j5

- Pan Protector: https://shrsl.com/305j0
- Carbon Steel Seasoning Wax: https://shrsl.com/305iz

🔪 KNIVES WE USE/LOVE 🔪
- Dad's 40 year old Chinese Chef Knife: https://geni.us/dadschefknife, https://geni.us/Vtjn
- Chef Knife: https://shrsl.com/305is
- Santoku Knife: https://shrsl.com/305iu
- Starter Knife Set: https://shrsl.com/305iw

- Sharpening Stone Set: https://shrsl.com/305iy

👨‍🍳 KITCHEN ACCESSORIES WE USE/LOVE 👨‍🍳
- Magnetic Knife Strip (storage): https://shrsl.com/305j3
- Cutting Board: https://shrsl.com/305j2
- Instant Read Thermometer #1: https://geni.us/bluetooththermometer
- Instant Read Thermometer #2: https://geni.us/wirelessthermometer
- Food Scale: https://geni.us/ourfoodscale

🍜 DAD'S SPECIAL INGREDIENTS 🍜

If you don't live near an Asian market, you buy these online / on Amazon:
- Kikkoman Sesame Oil: https://geni.us/kkmsesameoil
- Kikkoman Soy Sauce: https://geni.us/kkmsoysauce
- Kikkoman Tamari: https://geni.us/kkmtamari
- Kikkoman Oyster Sauce: https://geni.us/kkmoystersauce
- Rice Cooking Wine: https://geni.us/ZHJK
- Chili Oil: https://geni.us/DX1vm
- Hoisin Sauce: https://geni.us/lmBz0
- Chicken Bouillon: https://geni.us/2Eu7CU
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine: https://geni.us/M93Zer
- Chinese Sausage / Lap Cheung: https://geni.us/kdKvxv1

Options for Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
- https://geni.us/kkmoystersauceveg

🎥 MY CAMERA GEAR! 🎥
- My Workhorse Camera: https://geni.us/DAeHJ
- My Lens for Wide Shots: https://geni.us/cLfu64x
- My Lens for Detail Shots: https://geni.us/9aDaf5
- My Macro Lens: https://geni.us/bzn6Vy
- My Main Light: https://geni.us/ZK5XVe
- My Light Softbox: https://geni.us/PmOs8FK
- My Camera Slider: https://geni.us/BUd8

Note: These links are affiliate links, which means that if you use our links to purchase these ingredients, our family earns a small amount for the sale - at no extra cost to you. If you use these links, we really appreciate the support!

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⏲ CHAPTERS ⏲

00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Cut chicken
00:54 - Background on General Tso’s Chicken
01:43 - Marinate chicken
02:24 - Prepare chicken batter
03:24 - How do you know if your batter is the right consistency?
03:41 - Chop other ingredients
04:38 - Start heating oil for deep frying
04:55 - A quick primer on oils and smoke points
06:02 - How do you know if the oil is hot enough to fry?
07:44 - Create sauce mix
08:41 - Mix chicken with batter and start frying
10:32 - Remove chicken from wok #1
11:45 - Deep fry chicken #2
12:23 - Cook the sauce + flavors
13:58 - My thoughts on discrimination, "authentic" cuisine
17:41 - Has dad tried General Tso’s Chicken back in China?
18:20 - More on why we fry the chicken twice
19:02 - My parents’ stories on not having cooking oil in China
20:09 - Can you reuse the oil for later?
21:06 - Life lessons for Cam Cam

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🎵 OTHER CREDITS 🎵

Intro Flute Music - Performed by Daddy Lau
Copyright Chillhop Music - https://chll.to/49e6fa9c
Copyright Chillhop Music - https://chll.to/4ca8cc15

Overhead Camera Rig built by P.Oak -   / p.oak.co