General Tso's Spicy Hot Chicken

Recipe Instructions To prepare chicken: Pound chicken lightly with a mallet to tenderize; cut into 3/4 -by- 3/4 -inch pieces. To prepare marinade: Combine chicken with soy sauce and cornstarch; set aside. To prepare sauce: Thoroughly combine vinegar, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, salt and cornstarch mixture; set aside. Break apart dried red chilies and separate seeds and pods; set both aside. To fry, place wok over high heat about 1 minute. Add 2 cups oil and heat to 350 degrees. Add chicken and fry 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove chicken and drain, reserving oil. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from wok. Reheat, swirling pan to coat sides. Add chile pods and seeds; stir-fry about 30 seconds until browned. Return chicken to wok and add green onion, ginger and garlic, stir-frying another 30 seconds. Pour in sauce and cook until thickened. Stir in sesame oil just before serving. Note: Chile pods are browned to produce the aroma, while the seeds are used to make the dish spicy and hot. Take care not to burn the seeds or let them get too dark.