Chef Johns Cashew Chicken Food

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.

CREAMY CASHEW CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Mix salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, and garam masala together in a small bowl.
• Cut a chicken thigh in half lengthwise along the crease. Halve the thicker portion to end up with three 2-inch pieces. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
• Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add oil and about 1/2 of the spice blend; mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over high heat until melted and golden brown. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Return chicken and accumulated juices to the bowl.
• Heat remaining butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, remaining spice blend, tomato paste, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices.
• Combine water and cashews in a blender; blend on high speed until very smooth. Stir cashew cream into the pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in green onions and cilantro; taste for seasoning. Squeeze in lime juice.

CASHEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the ginger. Set aside.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• In the same skillet, stir-fry the garlic, bell peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons ginger, keeping them crisp-tender. Deglaze the skillet with the sherry and scrape up any brown bits. Add the reserved soy mixture and cook until the mixture boils, about 1 minute. Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup soy in a small bowl, then stir the slurry into the skillet. Add the cashews and water chestnuts. Add 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce. Cook for another minute.
• Serve garnished with the scallions and cilantro.

CHEF JOHN'S CARAMEL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk brown sugar, water, fish sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl until brown sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Heat oil over high heat in a skillet. Stir in chicken.
• Pour 1/3 cup of the brown sugar mixture over chicken; cook and stir until the brown sugar mixture has a syrup-like consistency, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Pour in the remaining brown sugar mixture; cook until chicken is tender and no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in in peanuts, jalapenos and green onion; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.

"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.

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.

CASHEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• Stir together marinade ingredients.
• Add chicken.
• Let sit for 1 to several hours.
• Flour chicken well.
• Stir together eggs, milk,salt, and pepper.
• Place chicken pieces in egg mixture, then roll in flour again.
• The flour/egg/flour process can be messy but its important.
• Fortunately, it doesn't have to be precise.
• Try shaking the chicken in a bag or using a big fork to stir it all around.
• The chicken can and probably should sit in the flour and/or egg for a few minutes while the sauce and rice are started.
• Make sauce by combining all the ingredients together and heat to boiling.
• Thicken with cornstarch.
• I do this by putting about 1/4 c cornstarch in a cup, then stirring in 1-2 tablespoons of sauce at a time into the cornstarch.
• When it is smooth and pourable, I whisk it into the boiling sauce.
• Allow to cook while frying the chicken.
• Fry chicken pieces in oil.
• Serve chicken over rice, cover with sauce, and garnish with onions and cashews.