General Tso's Chicken

I'm assuming they make it differently in the UK?  Maybe that's what Jewlz meant?

I think as it's a genuine Thai dish it's pretty standard everywhere.  Only differences i've noticed is that in the US it tends to be a bit more oily.

I've never heard of General Tso Chicken before this thread!

For General Tso's, why not try this one, it looks pretty easy:
http://www.recipezaar.com/General-Tsos-Chicken-164706

This one sounds even nicer:
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/poultryreceo/r/generaltso.htm

Good luck!

I was between those two recipes last night! I'm also considering Tyler Florence's recipe from the Food Network website.  It looks slightly more complicated, but I saw him making it on his show, and it looked EXACTLY like the take-away kind.


As far as the "style" of chinese, I had been told a while ago that UK Chinese food for the main part is Hunan while ours is Cantonese. I'm not sure how accurate that is, as I admit to know very little about Asian food. (General Tso's is the only Chinese/Thai/Japanese food I've ever been able to eat!)

I believe that the differences in Chinese restaurants has something to do with the British Empire, so if you are a Hong Kong born Chinese, because of the British Empire and all that stuff, it is (or was, I'm not sure) easier to come to the UK to work, however if you are a mainland Chinese person, its easier to get work in the US. So UK Chinese restaurants cook in what they call a Hong Kong Style, while US restaurants are mainly Schezchwan style.

I'm not Chinese, so I am not sure this is 100% true, but I am Jewish, and we do eat a lot of Chinese food, so its almost like being Chinese

But I think the thing about Hong Kong Style Chinese food in the UK is true.

Yes you are right, US Chinese food tends to be Cantonese too.
Are you living up to your heritage by having Chinese food on Xmas? I would like to but DH thinks that is the nuttiest custom ever.

Yes you are right, US Chinese food tends to be Cantonese too.
Are you living up to your heritage by having Chinese food on Xmas? I would like to but DH thinks that is the nuttiest custom ever.

Yes!!! I wish! This Christmas I have my Jewish parents and my Gentile in laws, so we are doing Christmas dinner big stylee (Turkey and roast beef) but when I lived on Long Island we always had Chinese food and went to a movie on Christmas day. What else do the Jewish people do???
 

I'm Anglican, but I'd still prefer to have Chinese on Christmas! I'm not so much into the heavy holiday meals, but I love me some Asian food.

I don't know if this will be much help, but I went to a local takeaway a few weeks ago looking for Gen. Tso's.  Of course they didn't have it, so I asked the lady what was sweet and spicy and she recommended Kung Po chicken.  It was very nice and now I can't really remember what Tso's tasted like to begin with. 

Meijer (and probably other supermarkets too) sells Gen Tso's flavoring packets in the Chinese food section. 

On a similar note, where can I get Bourbon Chicken (my favorite)?  Afraid I have to go back home for that one!

On a similar note, where can I get Bourbon Chicken (my favorite)?  Afraid I have to go back home for that one!

I've seen that in TGI's, don't know if it is the same though.

Vicky

I've seen that in TGI's, don't know if it is the same though.

Vicky

It's really really close!!

Yes!!! I wish! This Christmas I have my Jewish parents and my Gentile in laws, so we are doing Christmas dinner big stylee (Turkey and roast beef) but when I lived on Long Island we always had Chinese food and went to a movie on Christmas day. What else do the Jewish people do???
 

Too right!
And the Chinese places here are closed on Xmas so if anything it has to be frozen bits and bobs from Tesco.
My Jewish parents are coming too and we are taking them to the in laws for the whole Xmas dinner shebang so hardly any time to have a single spring roll or prawn toast 

Oh yay! I was so sad when we went for Chinese takeaway...I always would order General's Tofu at the place near my house in Lancaster and there wasn't anything like it on the menu here. I had Orange tofu, but it really wasn't the same!

I've never been to a Thai restaurant or takeaway that didn't do Pad Thai, even ones at the ars* end of nowhere.

I've only been to two Thai places in the UK, and neither one had pad thai on the menu. Nor nime chow. 

Right so I gave UK Chinese food another shot this weekend and we ordered in some chili beef as someone suggested.  I have to say that I get why it was suggested but it was pretty far from General's chicken, at least at my local Chinese resteraunt.  It wasn't breaded, it was just well, crispy strips of beef in a reddish sauce (not brown like GT's).  I didn't mind it so much but DH actually used the word 'hate'.  I also asked if they'd do it with chicken but they said no

I hope others have better luck!

Our Chinese puts a batter on our crispy beef.

We'd never ordered from this place before so it may not be a great example.  It was so weird, just crispy beef.  I wondered how it got so crispy when it wasn't coated with anything that I could tell...