PG-tested

How do you know when a recipe's a keeper? When the cookbook automatically opens to the page it appears on, and it's stained with some of the ingredients. This easy take on General Tso's Chicken is one of my kids' favorite meals. The marriage of crunchy sweet (chopped gherkins) and touch of fire (hot chili pepper) is a little piece of Sichuan heaven. Because there's a 15-year-old boy at the table, I double the ingredients. White rice on the side is nice but not necessary; for extra crunch, serve it with chow mein noodles.

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

For sauce:

• 1/4 cup minced sweet gherkin pickles
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (I often omit)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic chili paste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 scallion, white and green parts, trimmed and minced (I often substitute 1/2 thinly sliced onion)
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin (not chopped)
• 1 small hot chili pepper, Thai or cayenne, seeded and minced
• 6 cilantro sprigs for garnish

Mix the chicken, egg, cornstarch, salt and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 1 1/2 inches up the sides, and heat it to 375 degrees. In two batches, add the chicken pieces to the oil, a few pieces at a time so they don't splash together. Stir gently, keeping the pieces separate and cooking until the coating looks set but not browned, about 45 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh skimmer, transfer the chicken to a colander to drain. Reheat oil to 375 degrees and return chicken to wok, and deep fry again until it is golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil.

To begin sauce, mix pickles, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, fish sauce and chili paste in a small bowl. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water in another bowl. Set both aside.

Return the wok with oil to high heat. Add scallion, garlic and chili, and stir-fry until the scallion wilts, about 15 seconds. Return chicken to the wok and add pickle mixture. Stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add cornstarch mixture and stir-fry until sauce thickens, about 10 seconds. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

-- Adapted from "The Shun Lee Cookbook" by Michael Tong (William Morrow, $29.95)

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