Sticky Cashew Chicken

Crispy chicken smothered in a sticky sweet and savoury sauce with crunchy cashews. I use the 'one bowl method' to coat the chicken (rather than dipping in separate bowls of egg, cornflour and seasoning) and it works brilliantly!

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 small egg
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• Oil for shallow frying about 120ml (½ cup)

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 3 tbsp hoisin Sauce
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 120 ml (½ cup) chicken stock

Also:

• 140 g (1 cup) cashew nuts
• Small bunch spring onions (scallions) chopped on the diagonal
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Pinch of chilli flakes

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken in a bowl with the egg and mix together to coat. Drain off any excess egg from the bowl and discard.
2. Add the cornflour, paprika, salt and white pepper to the bowl with the chicken and mix together. You should end up with a sticky coating on your chicken.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, over a medium-high heat, until hot.
4. Add the chicken, and stir fry until golden. This should take about 7-8 minutes. You might need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.
5. Place the cornflour, light and dark soy sauce, garlic and hoisin sauce in a bowl and mix together until the cornflour is absorbed.
6. Add the light brown sugar, sesame oil and chicken stock to the bowl and stir together until combined. Put to one side.
7. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
8. Carefully discard the oil, then pour the sauce into the pan and heat through until bubbling.
Add the chicken into the pan, then add in the cashews and half of the chopped spring onions.
9. Stir together for 2 minutes, to heat through the cashews, then serve with rice. Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions, the sesame seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes.