Cashew Chicken
Recipe modified from www.authenticorientalcuisine.org

Cashew Chicken is a simple Chinese-American fusion dish that combines chicken (fried or stir-fried, depending on the variation), cashews, and a thick oyster sauce.

FMM: This was pretty good, lots of flavor. We did not have light soy sauce (used dark) and the dish turned out quite dark in color. In Chinese cooking, light soy sauce is used with chicken and other dishes where a dark color is not desired.

3 chicken breasts, boned and skinned

Marinade:
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. Chinese wine or dry sherry

1/2 lb Chinese pea pods
1/2 lb mushrooms
4 green onions
1 cup bamboo shoots (1-5 oz. can) or baby corn
1 cup water chestnuts (1-5 oz. can)

Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce [use light soy sauce]
2 tbsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. peanut oil
2/3 cups raw cashew nuts
1 cup chicken broth or bouillon cube dissolved in water
White rice, for serving

Slice breasts horizontally into very thin slices and cut into inch squares. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken and marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare vegetables, removing ends and strings from pea pods, slicing mushrooms and onions. Drain the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, reserving the liquid to make the rice (or for another use).

Mix the suace ingredients together.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in skillet over moderate heat, add all the nuts, and cook 1 min. shaking the pan, toasting the nuts lightly. Remove and reserve.

Pour remaining oil in pan, fry chicken quickly, turning often until it looks opaque. Lower heat to low. Add pea pods, mushrooms, and broth. Cover and cook slowly for 2 min. Remove cover, add soy sauce mixture, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Simmer uncovered a bit more and add green onions and cashews. Serve immediately.

Serves 4