Cashew Chicken Take Out Style Food

CASHEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add remaining oil and chicken to skillet along with the garlic and white parts of scallions. Cook, tossing often, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return first batch of chicken to pan. Add vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
• Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice, if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S CASHEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken cubes with salt and black pepper.
• Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl until smooth; whisk in lemon juice, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chile pepper sauce into cornstarch mixture, stirring until brown sugar has dissolved and cornstarch is free of lumps.
• Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat; pour in vegetable oil. Add slices of red chili and ginger to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, until oil is flavored, about 2 minutes. Stir in cashews and garlic; cook until cashews are lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes more.
• Lightly toss seasoned chicken cubes with cashew mixture in skillet until combined, about 30 seconds. Turn heat down to medium-low and pour cornstarch mixture into skillet. Stir constantly until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. If too thick, add a splash of water. Simmer 2 more minutes to heat the chicken through. Adjust levels of salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and chile pepper sauce to taste. Stir in cilantro just until wilted, about 15 seconds.

"RESTAURANT STYLE" CHINESE CASHEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cube chicken into bite size pieces and place in a medium size mixing bowl.
• Add the salt, rice cooking wine, ginger and cornstarch to the chicken cubes, using a fork to mix it in and adding the cornstarch last, mix again. Cover and marinate the chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the sauce ingredients while the chicken is marinating. In a small size mixing bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
• Finely mince the garlic. Wash and slice the green onions on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces, chop the broccoli, slice the celery, carrots, onions and drain the sliced water chestnuts.
• Roast the cashews in a heavy skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan continuously so that the nuts do not burn. Roast for about 5 minutes, or until the cashews are lightly browned. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.
• Heat the wok or large size skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the coated chicken cubes. Stir-fry until they change color (about 5 to 7 minutes) and are cooked through. Remove from the wok or frying pan, keep warm.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the stir-frying vegetables. Stir-fry until crunchy-tender (about 5 to 6 minutes), then push up to the sides of the pan. Add the sauce and the chicken. Heat everything through and then fold all together to completely coat with sauce. Serve the chicken and vegetables over prepared rice (Jasmine rice is the best) and the roasted cashews on top as a tasty garnish.
• Makes 4 servings.

MAKE YOUR OWN TAKEOUT CASHEW CHICKEN OR PORK WITH ORANGE SAUCE AND SCALLION RICE

Steps:

• In a sauce pot, heat 1 1/2 cups of the stock and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and stir in the rice. Lower the heat and bring to a bubble, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the scallions.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the chicken or pork.
• Trim the broccolini or broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces or florets. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a shallow pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Salt the water and cook the broccolini or florets until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat while the broccolini cooks. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and when it begins to smoke or ripple, add the chicken and brown it for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, then transfer it to a plate. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan, stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tamari, the marmalade, and the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Slide the chicken, broccolini, and cashews into the pan and stir to combine with the sauce. Simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Scoop the chicken mixture into serving dishes, top with a scoop of rice, and serve.

CASHEW CHICKEN TAKE-OUT STYLE

Steps:

• Marinate chicken: In medium bowl, stir together marinade ingredients until cornstarch dissolves. Add chicken; stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce (if using). Set aside.
• Heat a work or large skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates. Add oil; swirl to coat base. Add garlic and stir-fry until just aromatic, about 20 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until no longer pink on the outside but not yet cooked through.
• Add onions and bell peppers and stir-fry untill fragrant and the onions start to become translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour in the sauce and stir to coat the chicken. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes to thicken and allow the chicken to cook through, then stir in the cashews. Transfer to a plate and serve.