Cashew Chicken

• servings: Serves: 3 people

Ingredients

For the marinade

400g / 14 oz boneless chicken breast

1.4g / ¼ tsp salt

1.2g / ¼ tsp baking soda

5g / 2 tsps cornstarch

5.5g / 1 tsp dark soy sauce

7g / 1.5 tsps Chinese cooking wine

0.6g / ¼ tsp ground white pepper or to taste

For the sauce

16.6g / 1 Tbsp soy sauce

18g / 1 Tbsp oyster sauce

10.5g / ½ Tbsp hoisin sauce (see page 16)

8.3g / ½ Tbsp dark soy sauce

1g / ½ tsp five-spice powder (see page 19)

• 45g / 3 Tbsps water

• 3.8g / 1.5 tsps cornstarch

For the stir-fry

• 41g / 3 Tbsps cooking oil

30g / about 10 cloves garlic

8g / about ½ inch ginger

45g / about 3 scallions

70g / 2.5 oz red bell pepper

70g / 2.5 oz green bell pepper

70g / 2.5 oz carrot

75g / ½ cup cashews

30-45g / 2-3 Tbsps water as needed

Directions

1. Slice the chicken breast into 3-inch (1.7cm) thick strips, and then dice into -inch (1.7cm) cubes. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, dark and ground white cooking wine, soy sauce, Chinese pepper and stir well. Set it aside for 15 minutes.

2. Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, water, and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Set it aside.

3. Peel 10 cloves of garlic and cut them into halves. Slice the ginger thinly. Dice the scallions and separate the white and green parts.

4. Cut the red and green bell pepper into small diamond shapes. Cut the carrot into bite-size pieces.

5. Add oil and the cashews to the wok and stir over medium heat for 1 minute or until the nuts are slightly golden. Remove the cashews from the wok, leaving the oil behind. (The cashews can be replaced with walnuts, pecans, or peanuts.)

6. Turn the heat to high and add the marinated chicken to the wok. Stir for 3 minutes or until the chicken is nicely charred. Remove the chicken from the wok but leave the oil behind.

7. Switch the heat to medium, and then add the garlic, the diced white parts of the scallions, and the ginger, carrot to the same wok and stir until fragrant.

8. Add a tablespoon of water and cover the vegetables with a lid; wait for 2 minutes to allow the steam to cook the carrot through.

9. Add the red and green bell pepper and pour in the sauce. Introduce the chicken back to the wok and stir well. If the wok looks dry, you can add another tablespoon of water to help to mix everything.

10. Before serving, add the nuts and diced green parts of the scallions and toss thoroughly. Serve with white rice or noodles.