I previously confessed about my inability to cook rice. I tried it again earlier this week. This time it was slightly less disastrous but it was still less then stellar. (I am still blaming the pots for my poor performance.)
What led me to tackle rice again this week was a chicken cashews stir fry dish I had read about. I am kind of determined to try and teach my friends that you can make food that you would normally order out faster in your own kitchen. We don't eat takeout for a lot of reasons but the biggest reason for me is that I find I can cook dinner quicker then I can have it delivered (and also because I would rather save my money for a second dinner at Per Se...)
This cashew stir fry is kind of amazing. After prepping
everything (which takes about 15 minutes) the actual cooking process only takes
about 6 minutes! The dish itself is delicious - crunchy and sweet and a
little spicy (from my own addition of Siracha!). It will be perfect once
I can master the rice...this may take a while.
Cashew Chicken
Adapted
From Leitie’s Culinaria
I used more
sugar snap peas in my version then the original recipie called for to make this
a more balanced meal (and because I had a lot from the farmers market). Feel free to add in more vegetables, they are
good for you!
1 pound
skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1
tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons
soy sauce (regular or dark)
1 1/2
teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon
plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3/4
teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup
chicken broth
2 teaspoons
(plus more for the final dish if you’re like me!) Siracha
2
tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (use only oils with a high smoke point,
such as grapeseed)
2
tablespoons minced ginger
1 pound
sugar snap peas, strings removed, pods left whole
1/2 cup
unsalted cashews (if using raw cashews, toast them in a dry skillet for a
minute or two prior to tossing them into the stir-fry)
Rice
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, 1 teaspoon of
the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the rice wine, 1/2
teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon Siracha, and sugar. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine the broth, the remaining 1 teaspoon
soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over
high heat until a bead of water added vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of
contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil, tilting the wok to evenly coat the
bottom of the pan. Add the ginger and, using a metal spatula, stir-fry until
the ginger is fragrant, about 10 seconds. Push the ginger to the sides of the
wok, carefully add the chicken mixture, and spread it evenly in a single layer.
Cook the chicken, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Then stir-fry until the chicken is
lightly browned but not cooked through, about 1 minute.
Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the wok, add the
sugar snaps (or whatever veggies you are using), and cashews, and sprinkle with
the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry just until the sugar snaps are bright
green, about 1 minute. Restir the broth mixture and swirl it into the wok,
adding it along the sides rather than into the middle. Stir-fry until the
chicken is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with rice and
more Siracha if desired.
No comments:
Post a Comment