Cashew Chicken

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 people)

• To marinate the chicken
• 400g / 14oz of chicken breast
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• White pepper to taste
• 2 tsp of cornstarch
• 1 tsp of dark soy sauce

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp of five-spice powder
• 3 tbsp of water
• 1.5 tsp of cornstarch
• To stir fry
• 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of cashew
• 10 cloves of garlic, cut in halves
• 1/2 inch of ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 scallions, diced and separate the white and green part
• 70g / 2.5 oz of bell pepper
• 70g / 2.5 oz of green bell pepper
• 70g / 2.5 oz of carrot
• A splash of water as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice the chicken breast into 2/3-inch thick strips, then dice into 2/3-inch cubes.
2. Marinade the chicken with salt, baking soda, white pepper, cornstarch, dark soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
3. Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, water, and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Set it aside.
4. Peel 10 cloves of garlic and cut them into halves; Slice the ginger thinly; Dice the scallions and separate the white and green parts;
5. Cut the red and green bell pepper into small diamond shapes. Cut the carrot into 2/3-inch bite size pieces. Different color of vegetables makes this dish pretty in presentation. However, feel free to switch them with whatever you have in your kitchen.
6. Add oil and cashew to the wok and stir over medium heat for 1 minutes or until the nuts are slightly golden. Remove the cashew from the wok, but leave the oil behind. You can switch the cashew to walnut, pecan, or peanut.
7. Turn the heat to high and add the marinated chicken. Stir for 3 minutes or until the chicken is nicely charred. Remove the chicken from the wok but leave the oil behind.
8. Add garlic, ginger, diced white part of the scallions, and carrot to the same wok. Stir until fragrant. Add a splash of water and cover the vegetables with a lid and wait for a couple of minutes to allow the steam to cook the carrot through.
9. Add the red and green bell pepper, pour in the sauce, introduce the chicken back to the wok, and stir well. If the wok looks dry, you can add another splash of water to help to mingle everything.
10. Before serving, add the nuts and diced green part of the scallions and toss thoroughly.
11. Serve with white rice or noodles.