Cashew Chicken

3/4 cup unsalted cashews, toasted

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee (or Kikkoman) hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon Kikkoman Tamari soy sauce

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced

8 green onions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

To begin: Toast cashews in a single layer just until fragrant (3-4 minutes); set aside to cool.

For the sauce: Whisk together water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside.

For the chicken: Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken pieces to the pan; quickly stir-fry until lightly browned but not cooked through (2-3 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate; keep warm. Heat the last tablespoon of oil in the skillet, and stir-fry the remaining chicken in the same manner. Add garlic, white portions of the onions, and the previously-cooked chicken to the pan; stir to blend together. Lower heat to medium; add rice vinegar and cook for 30 seconds, until evaporated. Add water chestnuts and the sauce mixture to the pan. Cook 45-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. Remove pan from the heat. Stir in green portions of the onions, cashews, and sesame oil. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice. — Serves 4

Our dinner last night was Cashew Chicken with Jasmine Rice. Normally, it’s one of our favorite dishes, but last night — not so much! 😢 I had recently shared the recipe with my brother-in-law-law, and in our kitchen last night I used the recipe on my iPad directly from the E-mail I had sent to him. Oops! I found out (the hard way) that I had inadvertently mistyped one of the ingredients in the recipe I sent him. Trust me — 4 tablespoons is way too much hoisin sauce for this recipe! First thing this morning I corrected my mistake with him. It was a less-than-tasty learning experience for me — but that’s what cooking is all about … experiences — good or not-so-good. 

The thick, fragrant Cantonese paste known as “hoisin sauce” is used as a glaze for meat, a stir-fry ingredient, or a dipping sauce. It has a sweet-salty taste and is very dark-colored. Although there are regional variants, the ingredients in hoisin sauce usually include soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic. Do keep in mind — sometimes a little goes a long way!