General Tso's Pheasant
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
341 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
General Tso's Pheasant
Description
This dish begins by marinating pheasant pieces in a mixture of egg yolk, soy sauce, and potato starch, which forms a light coating that crisps upon deep frying. The pheasant is cooked in batches in hot peanut oil heated to about 350°F to ensure a golden, crunchy crust and juicy interior. Concurrently, a sauce is prepared from pheasant stock, soy, sugar, black vinegar, and tomato paste thickened with starch, lending a balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami.
After frying, the pheasant is stir-fried with aromatic ingredients including minced ginger, thinly sliced garlic, dried chilies, and chopped green onions in additional oil and sesame oil. The sauce is then added to coat all components, allowing the flavors to meld and the dish to be glossy and well-seasoned.
This recipe yields a flavorful entree with spicy, sweet, and tangy notes complemented by the rich gamey flavor of pheasant. It is especially suited for those looking to apply classic Chinese-American cooking techniques to alternative poultry. Serving alongside steamed rice will balance the strong sauce and spice. The dish requires attention to frying temperature and timing to achieve the right texture.
After completing this, consider trying variations like Kung Pao with pheasant to explore other flavor profiles using the same bird.
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 4 tablespoons potato starch or corn starch
- 2 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying
SAUCE
- 1/2 cup pheasant stock or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar or more if you want it sweet
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or malt vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon potato or corn starch
STIR-FRY
- 1 pound pheasant breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil lard or vegetable oil
- 8 dried hot chile use less if you don't want it spicy, torn
- ginger peeled and minced, 2-inch piece
- 3 garlic sliced thin, cloves
- 6 green onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix egg yolks, soy and potato starch together with the pheasant pieces. Set aside at room temperature while you chop everything else. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Pour the peanut oil into a wok or large, heavy pot and heat it to about 350°F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test by putting a little flour or the end of a wooden chopstick into the oil: If it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough. Get a chopstick or something similar ready -- you will need this to quickly separate the pieces of pheasant when they hit the hot oil. Lay out a baking sheet with a paper towel on it for the finished pheasant pieces.
- When the oil is ready, add about 1/3 of the pheasant pieces and immediately use the chopstick to separate them. Fry until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pheasant from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and set on the baking sheet. Repeat twice more with the remaining pheasant pieces, frying 1/3 at a time. Doing it this way keeps the oil nice and hot.
- Turn off the heat and let the oil cool a bit. Pour it into a heatproof container (I use a large Pyrex measuring cup) and deal with it later. Wipe out the inside of the wok if using. If you are not using a wok, get out a large saute pan.
- Heat the 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in the wok over high heat for 1 minute. Add the dried chiles and cook until they almost turn black, another minute or two. Add the ginger and stir fry 30 seconds, then add the garlic and stir fry another 30 seconds.
- Add all the pheasant pieces and the green onions. Stir the sauce in the bowl and add that, making sure you get all the potato starch, which will have sunk to the bottom. Stir fry 1 minute. Turn off the heat and mix in the sesame oil. Serve at once with steamed rice.
Notes
- When you're done with this recipe, try making Kung Pao with Pheasant, too. It's just as good!
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 341 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 341kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 170mg | 57% |
| Sodium | 719mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 712mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 730IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 8mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 42mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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