I've showcased many traditional Chinese foods on No Free Lunch, but now it's time for a takeout classic. Chinese takeouts and buffets, while not authentic by any stretch of the imagination, are truly an inescapable component of American cuisine. And sometimes we all have to scratch that itch. Making a dish for the first time is a little scary, but it's also pretty exciting. I created my version of Cashew Chicken mostly on the fly with ingredients I happened to have in the kitchen. I'm very pleased with how it turned out; the chicken is tender and juicy, and the vegetables and nuts give you a nice crunch. The ground bean sauce is the same that I used in the char siu in March. The sherry is an inexpensive Osborne cream sherry which adds a little sugar to the dish.
- 3 chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup whole cashews
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- Canola oil
Marinade
- 2 tbs ground bean sauce
- 2 tbs sherry
- 2 tbs chicken stock
- 2 tsp corn starch
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cut off the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut the meat off the bone and cut into small chunks. Combine chicken and all marinade ingredients in a large plastic bag. Seal the bag and mix thoroughly. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
While chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Dice the celery, onion, and pepper. Mince the garlic. Heat wok and a little canola oil on medium high. Toast the cashews to golden brown, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Set aside. Add all vegetables to the wok and turn heat up. Stir fry until lightly browned.
Add chicken and all excess marinade from the bag into the vegetables. Push the chicken pieces to the bottom of the wok. Cook covered for a few minutes on high heat. Turn the chicken and cook covered until cooked through. Add cashews and stir fry everything a bit more. Serve over rice.
This is another nice looking dish. It is the highest of the art form when one just cooks with what is on hand. This is a forgiving enough dish that there is no need for orthodoxy. Variations are numerous. Hot red peppers, any hot pepper or pepper flakes would add a spicy kick and it would still be consistent with the base flavor profile. A little sesame seed oil could work. A variety of chopped vegetables can also work. I like the use of sherry here for a touch of a sweet edge. If more sauce is needed, a little corn starch glaze can be applied. Green onions can also be added for added color. This is a great job that also captures the spirit of casual home cooking.
ReplyDeleteThat looks pretty great. I have some sesame oil and pepper flakes on hand, so I may make this and tinker like your dad suggested... also, are your qualifying exams this summer or next year?
ReplyDeleteAgain, let me know how it goes. You are a star pupil here at No Free Lunch.
DeleteFirst attempt at prelims are early next month. It occurs to me we desperately need to catch up in a better way than blog comments.
I agree, I've been in some pretty serious *&^% with concurrent bouts of teaching Kaplan and getting ready for my last med school test of this year, but I can and will make time. So if your prelims are coming up in early June, what's your study-schedule look like? Would you prefer talking during the week or on a weekend?
Delete