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Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. A wonderful flavor combination. Get everything prepped, and then do the simple stir-fry. Fresh mushrooms can be used if available, no pre-soaking needed.
4 dried shiitaki mushrooms
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons water
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon peanut or grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into slivers
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
1/2 cup cashews
1 teaspoon butter or oil
2 tablespoons sunflower oil, peanut oil, or grapeseed oil
3-4 cloves garlic, slivered
1-2 cups fresh snow peas, ends and strings removed
1/2 cup sliced canned bamboo shoots or baby corn
fresh cilantro for garnish
Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and snip off the stems and discard them. Cut mushrooms thinly and set aside. In a batter bowl, combine soy sauce, sherry, water, pepper, oil, and cornstarch. Add chicken and mushrooms, toss to coat. Allow to stand 15 minutes to blend. In meantime, combine the 1/2 cup water, sherry, Hoisin, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside. Combine the cashews and butter or oil in a glass measuring cup and cook in microwave 1 minute. Stir. Cook another 1-2 minutes, or until the nuts have toasted. Set aside. Heat wok or stir fry pan and add 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil. When oil begins to give off a haze, add garlic and stir. Quickly add chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is done, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken to serving platter. Add peas and bamboo shoots to the wok and stir fry 1-2 minutes and then add the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until it thickens and gets transparent. Add to chicken mixture, stir in the cashews and serve. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Recipe created 1995-09-05.
