Stir-fry Chilli Chicken with Cashews

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade

• 750g skinned, boneless chicken meat (breast or thigh)
• 2½ Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Stir-fry

• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tbsp peeled and finely chopped ginger
• 3 slim spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 1 tsp sambal oelek, or to taste
• 1 cup water chestnuts, drained and sliced in half
• ½ cup light chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine
• 1½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tsp sesame oil
• 1½ Tbsp cornflour
• 2 Tbsp water
• 7 Tbsp peanut oil, approximately
• 1 cup toasted or salted cashew nuts

Method

Chicken and marinade

1. Remove any fat from chicken, then cut into small cubes. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and add chicken. Marinate for several hours.

Stir-fry

1. Mix garlic, ginger, spring onions and sambal olek and set aside. Blanch water chestnuts by placing them in a small saucepan and covering with a cup of cold water. Bring to the boil and drain. Mix stock, soy sauce, sherry or wine, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil. Mix cornflour and water and add to sherry mixture.

2. Heat a wok over a very high heat until it is very hot and add 4 tablespoons of oil. Heat until the oil gives off a slight haze. Add chicken and marinade and stir-fry until the pieces separate and change colour. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add 3 tablespoons oil to wok and heat until very hot. Add spring onion mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry a further 30 seconds. Stir stock mixture and add to wok with chicken. Cook for 2-5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Add cashews and stir through. Serve immediately.