On the blog, I've used them a decent amount, with one of my first tries being Creamy Cashew Pasta. Since then, I've made a few sauces with a cashew base, and I've got another post in the works where I made an alfredo sauce. Brace yourself!
And have you ever seen how cashews grow? What even are these things? The fruit is considered a "false fruit"; I'd never known this prior, but because the cashews aren't completely inside the fruit, it's not technically considered a fruit. It can be made into jams and such though, as it is sweet. Better yet, the fruit is fermented in India (Goa, India, to be specific) to make an alcohol named Feni. Furthermore, cashews aren't even a nut! They are a seed. Have you learned as much I have? Keep reading at the link I shared above, if you're interested in more.
This recipe came about while I sought something new to cook and recalled a meal I'd had some time ago. In my head, I swore it was at Epcot, but I tried to dig into this and couldn't find any evidence. So, perhaps I am crazy. Or I just have eaten a lot of food over the past few years and can't track all the cashews.
I'd be remiss if I did not discuss the history of the recipe itself after all this talk about a very important ingredient. Cashew chicken was created by a Chinese chef named David Leong in the 60's while he was working the Springfield, Missouri area. So I suppose it's technically an American-Chinese dish; though created in America, cashew chicken was made by a Chinese chef.
I decided to use chicken thighs - my new cooking trend as of late. They're more affordable than chicken breasts and really do make a difference in the dish. I think a lot of Americans get into the habit of eating chicken breasts constantly out of habit and because a lot of restaurants serve it, but thigh meat has a lot of moisture and flavor.
The first step was cubing the chicken into bite-sized pieces and tossing them in cornstarch. They just needed a light coating.
In a skillet with some cooking oil, I cooked the chicken over medium-high heat until they were lightly browned. I added the cashews to the pan towards the end to toast them a little more. For raw cashews, you need to toast them a bit longer (5 minutes or so). We want flavor!
Next, I added some minced garlic and let it cook until fragrant. The sauce was basic. Like, super basic. A bit of broth, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, brown sugar, and pepper did the trick. Salt can be added, but I passed because of the soy sauce. Crushed red pepper gave it a teeny bit of kick, too.
I let it all heat to a simmer and cooked it for 3-5 more minutes, until the sauce began to thicken. If you're seeing the sauce stay thin, you can also add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water. Stir it in and this will thicken it right up.
I served it over some cooked rice and voila, easy cashew chicken.
Cashew Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (or chicken breasts), cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado)
1 cup cashews (I used lightly salted, roasted)
3 teaspoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Cooked rice
Instructions:
Toss chicken in cornstarch. Heat a skillet with some cooking oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in until lightly browned (cook in batches if you have too much). Add cashews to the pan and toast for 1-2 minutes (5-7 if using raw). Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant. Add soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, hoisin, sesame oil, pepper, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Heat to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve over rice.
adapted from cashew chicken
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