Quick & Easy Chinese (13 page)
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Authors: Nancie McDermott
Made with chunks of chicken and celery tumbled with delectable cashews, this dish makes great party fare. It’s a fine potluck contribution as well if you fill a portable serving dish with rice or pasta and scoop your Chicken with Cashews right out of the hot pan as soon as it’s done. You can use chicken breast or thigh, or a combination of the two.
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 celery stalks
¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, or a combination
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 cup dry-roasted, salted cashews
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
SERVES
4
In a medium bowl, combine the sherry, water, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and stir to dissolve the dry ingredients and mix everything into a smooth sauce.
Trim the celery stalks, discarding tops and ends, and pull away the top layer of strings. Cut each stalk in half lengthwise, and then crosswise into ½-inch pieces; you’ll need ¾ cup. Chop the chicken into big, bite-sized chunks, about 1 inch in diameter.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and toss well until they are shiny and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Scatter in the chicken, spreading it out into a single layer. Cook undisturbed until the edges change color, about 30 seconds, and then toss well. Cook, tossing often, until most of the chicken has changed color.
Add the celery, and cook, tossing often, until the celery is bright green and the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the sherry mixture, pouring it in around the sides of the pan, and toss well.
Add the cashews and green onion. Toss to mix them in evenly and season well. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot or warm.
I love lemon chicken, but making a batter-fried restaurant-style version at home is too much mess and work. Quickly sautéed slices of chicken breast make for a delicious and doable home adaptation, with a bright-flavored sauce you can enjoy with other dishes as well. Since it takes several steps and is best served hot, this dish is one to make when you’ve got a little time or some helping hands, or best of all, both. Partially frozen meat is easiest to cut into thin slices, but don’t worry; just do the best you can and expect delicious results.
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black or white pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
FOR THE LEMON SAUCE
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken stock
1
/
3
cup sugar 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1
/
3
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
FOR COOKING THE CHICKEN
About
1
/
3
cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
SERVES
4
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork or a whisk to mix everything well. Cut the chicken breast crosswise and on the diagonal, to make wide, thin pieces. Dip each piece of chicken into the flour to coat it well, and then gently shake off any excess. Arrange floured chicken pieces on a large plate and set by the stove.
To make the lemon sauce: Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir well. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, sugar, ginger, if using, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and mix well. Stir in the lemon juice, and as soon as the sauce is boiling gently again, add the cornstarch. Cook, stirring often, as the sauce turns cloudy, then clear, and thickens to a shiny, glossy state, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm while you prepare the chicken.
To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, until a pinch of flour dropped into the oil blossoms at once. Cook in batches, placing pieces of chicken in the oil (they should sizzle immediately), and leaving a little room between so you can turn them easily and avoid crowding the pan.
Cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until golden and crisp, and cooked through, and then transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a serving platter as they are done. Cook the remaining chicken in the same way.
Pour the hot lemon sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the green onion, and serve hot.