腰果鸡丁 - Cashew Chicken

Chinese cuisine–when done right–is pleasing, subtle, delicate, satisfying, and a great treat to the taste buds. However, most Chinese restaurants in the United States have pretty much butchered Chinese food and turned one of the greatest cuisines in the world into something vaguely recognizable–gooey, starchy, sticky, greasy, and downright unappetizing–one that is certain to leave a bad taste in the mouth of many diners…The key to a great Chinese stir-fried chicken dish is simple: smooth and tender chicken meat lightly coated with a sauce, stir-fried over HIGH heat using a wok to achieve the breath of wok.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1 boneless & skinless chicken breast, about 10 oz. (cut into small cubes)
2. 1/2 cup cashew nuts
3. 1 small green bell pepper, about 4 oz. (cut into small square pieces)
4. 5 slices ginger
5. 1/4 onion (cut into small square pieces)
6. .
7. For the marinade:
8. ==============
9. 1 teaspoon baking soda
10. 1 teaspoon corn starch
11. 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
12. .
13. For the sauce:
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15. 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
16. 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
17. 3 tablespoons water
18. 3 dashes white pepper powder
19. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
20. 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
21. 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
22. Salt to taste

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes and then rinse the chicken thoroughly. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.)
2. Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rest of the ingredients for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the sauce together and set aside.
4. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
5. Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger slices, bell peppers and onions.
6. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers and add the chicken meat back in.
7. Add in the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs.
8. Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt to taste, dish out and serve the Cashew Chicken hot with steamed white rice.

Notes

Baking soda serves two purposes:1. to rid the chicken of any potential smell (I am sure you have had bad experiences eating chicken with a foul chicken-y odor,2. to tenderize the meat. Just by looking at my pictures, you can tell that those chicken breast cubes are silky and tender.