Spicy szechwan chicken with cashew nuts-kung
6 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Whole chicken breasts,skind boned and cut into 1\" squares | |
| 1 | tablespoon | Cornstarch |
| White of 1 large egg-beaten until slightly foamy | ||
| 3 | tablespoons | Peanut oil |
| 1 | cup | Raw cashew nuts |
| 1 | Inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced | |
| 2 | Green onions - chopped | |
| ½ | To 1 ts indonesian hot pepper paste - see recipe | |
| 2 | teaspoons | Hoisin sauce |
| 1 | tablespoon | Pale dry sherry |
| ½ | teaspoon | Salt |
| 1 | teaspoon | Sesame oil |
| 1 | teaspoon | Sugar |
Directions
Place chicken and cornstarch in a bag and shake until chicken is well coated; beat egg white in a bowl and add chicken; stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes; meanwhile, heat oil in a wok over medium heat and when it develops a slight haze over the top,(DO NOT LET IT SMOKE) fry the cashew nuts until they are a light golden brown; drain over the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper plate; when the chicken has finished chilling, reheat the oil over a medium high setting and stir-fry the chicken pieces until they are firm and light golden; drain over the wok and set aside on paper plates; in the same oil, fry the ginger and onions for 1 minute, stirring and tossing constantly, stir in the seasonings except the sesame oil and the sugar; add the chicken pieces to the wok again and stir-fry for 1 minute; add the sesame oil and sugar, then stir in cashews; immediately transfer to a platter and serve. INDONESIAN HOT PEPPER PASTE 30 dried red chili peppers stemmed (remove seeds for a milder version) Hot water ~ sufficient to cover the peppers White vinegar ~ sufficient to make a paste Salt to taste Place peppers in a small bowl and cover with hot water; let soak for 10 to 15 minutes; drain well and place peppers and 4 tablespoons of vinegar in a blender; blend into a rough paste, adding as much vinegar as necessary to achieve a paste like consistency and to permit the blades to turn easily; add the salt and mix well; transfer the mixture to a previously sterilized jar and cap tightly; must be refrigerated.
Yield: about ½ cup.