Chicken and cashew stir-fry
Make your midweek chicken stir-fry so much more exciting by adding cashews, chilli and plenty of garlic to the mix
First marinate the chicken by combining the chicken with the marinade ingredients and setting aside for at least 10 mins. This technique is called velveting – the cornflour and shaoxing wine help tenderise the protein and give juicy and silky meat.
Put a cup of water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the marinated chicken to poach. Cook for 2-3 mins until the chicken has changed colour and it’s no longer raw – you want to slightly under-cook the chicken. Drain off any liquid, reserving it for later.
Put 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok. Cook the aromatics (garlic, ginger and onion) for 1-2 mins to release their flavour. Add about half the reserved poaching liquid. Add the wood ear mushrooms, broccoli, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Cook for 1-2 mins. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 1-2 mins.
Add all the meat, the king prawns and chicken. Cook for 3-5 mins or until the prawns have changed colour to pink.
Add the cornflour slurry to thicken the liquid into a sauce. Give it a mix to ensure everything is coated. Season with white pepper and more oyster sauce if needed. Drizzle over sesame oil before serving.