Cashew Chicken
Sorry for the delayed post this week. I enjoyed another weekend out of town and rather than struggling with my phone, hoped you wouldn’t mind waiting until I was back to my computer.
This dish is called Sesame Chicken with Cashews and Dates in the cookbook Dinner by Melissa Clark but I think that title is misleading in that you may expect a replica of sesame chicken you’d order at a Chinese restaurant. For our purposes here at Sly Rooster, I’m calling this classic Taiwanese dish Cashew Chicken and I think that you will love it!
The recipe calls for dark soy sauce or tamari. If you can find dark soy sauce (definitely available any Asian market, probably at Whole Foods and possibly at your local supermarket) I encourage you to buy some for your pantry. Dark soy sauce has a thicker consistency that regular (actually called light soy sauce) and a richer, bolder flavor. It’s mostly used in cooking as opposed to dipping, but that’s not a firm rule. Anyway, if you don’t find it, tamari is fine. This recipe also calls for chicken thighs which my family likes. If you prefer to use breasts, you just might have to adjust cooking time. And while we are on the subject of cooking time, I sautéed my chicken longer than the suggested 4-5 minutes and this is reflected in the recipe. I’m not sure why but my chicken took longer to brown so just follow your instincts and proceed to the final cooking step once you have a bit of color on your meat.
With all that said, this is a very simple recipe. As with any stir fry, prep your ingredients before you heat your wok or pan and you’ll be ready to roll. Enjoy!
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Tbls toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 12 thin coins
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 bunch scallions (about 8), white and green parts, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 tsp red Chile flakes or 3-4 dried red chiles
- 1/2 c unsalted roasted cashews
- 6 boneless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs; skin on or skinless), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/3 c rice wine or dry sherry
- 3 Tbls dark soy sauce or tamari
- 4 pitted dates, thinly sliced
- 3 c fresh cilantro or basil or a combination (I used cilantro)
- rice vinegar or fresh lime juice to taste for serving
- cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat until it's very hot, at least 2 minutes.
- Add 2 Tbls of the sesame oil to the wok and swirl it around; the oil should thin on contact. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, scallions and chiles. Stir fry until the garlic is golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbls sesame oil, the cashews, and the chicken and stir fry until the chicken starts to brown, 5-10 minutes (reduce heat if the cashews are browning too quickly).
- Add the wine, soy sauce, and dates; simmer until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh herbs, sprinkle with rice vinegar and serve over rice.