Chinese vegetable recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ? Chinese vegetable recipe

This chicken recipe has been an outstanding favorite at our family’s Cambridge restaurant for as long as I can remember. There, the cashews are deep-fried, but at home I prefer to toast the nuts instead. This reduces the amount of oil without reducing the flavor.

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
½ teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons canola, corn, or peanut oil
1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
1 cup whole blanched cashews, toasted
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1. Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the cornstarch, sherry, and gingerroot and stir together until well mixed. Set aside.

2. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.

3. Pour the oil into a wok or stir-fry pan and place the pan over high heat. Add the garlic and stir it around the pan until the oil is hot and the garlic sizzles, about 30 seconds. Do not let it burn. Stir up the chicken mixture again and add it all to the hot oil. Continue stirring until the chicken is almost done, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the soy sauce mixture. Continue stirring until the ingredients are well blended. Add the cashewnuts and stir another 30 seconds. Drizzle with sesame seed oil and give a couple of big turns with a spatula. Serve immediately.