General Tso's chicken

Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks.

Whisk the egg white until relatively homogenous and slightly frothy.

Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and vodka; the alcohol boils off at a lower temperature, so the batter puffs more and gains crispness, and it limits gluten formation.

Whisk in three tablespoons of cornstarch and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

Set half the marinade aside, then stir another tablespoon and a half of cornstarch into the half that stays with the chicken.

Massage into the chicken; it can marinate up to overnight but no longer, or it starts to cure.

Combine half a cup each of flour and cornstarch with the baking powder and salt.

Pour the reserved marinade into the dry mixture and rub it with the fingers into little clumps for more surface area.

Bread the chicken a piece at a time into the moving dry mixture so the pieces stay separate.

Heat peanut oil to 350 F, set a little higher so it recovers when the chicken goes in.

Fry in half batches, a piece at a time, easing it in close to the surface of the oil.

Keep the pieces moving so they meet new zones of high heat; a couple of minutes, until deep golden brown, crisp and cooked through.

Finely slice the scallion bottoms, mince the garlic and chop the ginger.

Put the scallion bottoms, garlic, ginger and dried chilies in the wok with a little oil over medium heat and gently infuse the oil, no deep browning.

Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, chicken stock, vinegar and sugar.

Bring to a simmer and finish with a cornstarch slurry, a touch of salt and MSG and a teaspoon of sesame oil, until it thickens to a glossy emulsified glaze.

Add the rest of the scallions in one inch pieces, return the chicken and toss to coat until heated through.