Chinese Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken (It's Not My Best)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- x 1/2-inch pieces

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp soy sauce, divided

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1 clove of garlic, grated

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 1/2 tbsp canola oil, divided

1 cup raw whole cashews

1 medium heat chili, chopped

2 tbsp water

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tbsp light brown sugar

6 scallions, trimmed and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

1 small white onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

Steamed white rice, for serving

Directions

1. Toss together chicken, wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, Chinese five-spice, and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 5 hours.

2. Sprinkle chicken with all-purpose flour; toss to coat. Place chicken pieces in a single layer on a large plate; set aside.

3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large wok or stainless steel skillet over medium. Add cashews, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add chili, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer cashew mixture to a large heatproof bowl using a slotted spoon or spider, reserving oil in wok.

4. Place wok over high heat. Add chicken in an even layer, and cook, flipping once, until chicken is deeply browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adjusting heat if needed to prevent overbrowning. Transfer chicken to bowl with cashews. Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tbsp water, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

5. Add scallions and onion to wok; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until onion is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Return chicken and cashew mixture to wok; add oyster sauce mixture. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of wok to loosen any browned bits, until sauce thickens slightly and glazes chicken, 20 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat; serve immediately with rice.