CASHEW NUT CHICKEN STIR FRY

Terri don't laugh. This is my attempt at a Chinese stir fry. I love stir fries.... the only downside being I'll be at the dinner table sweating like someone had left a tap running on me head. Terri's the sifu of Chinese cooking and her dishes and her endless treasure box/blog of hints and lectures have always intimidated me. However I didn't think I could go much wrong with a cashew nut chicken stir fry because cashew nuts are so delicious just as they are and oyster sauce is a life saver. Anything with oyster sauce and cashew nuts just has to be good.


The dish is a tad colourful, being me, but pretty pretty tasty especially when I splashed in some zingy fish sauce as well. So maybe it's not exactly Chinese after all....it's a little bit Thai, a little bit Chinese and a little bit me.

Here's the recipe. Serves 1 or 2..........


1 chicken breast, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 small green and red pepper, cut into small chunks
a handful of roasted cashew nuts

Season chicken slices with :

1 tsp light soy sauce
dash of white pepper
salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cooking oil
2-3 drops of sesame seed oil
1-2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water

Sauce ingredients :

2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
43 - 4 Tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour plus 1 tsp water, mixed

Cooking oil

Season chicken pieces with the seasoning ingredients. Mix well and keep aside for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Keep aside.

Heat up a wok. Put about 4 tablespoons of oil in and let that heat up till very hot. Fry the chicken pieces in 2 batches very quickly, about 5-6 seconds until the chicken turns white but no need to worry if it not completely cooked. Lift out and drain them of oil. Keep aside.

Remove excess oil from the wok leaving a tablespoon in. Throw in the garlic and stir it around until it turns soft and fragrant. Pour in the sauce ingredients and stir a little to mix. When sauce begins to bubble throw in the fried chicken pieces and stir quickly for 4 - 5 seconds, add the peppers and stir over very high heat for another minute. Throw in the cashews. Taste and adjust. Serve hot.