Chicken& Cashews

Chicken and cashews is a Chinese-American restaurant staple, and the secret to making a home version that lives up to takeout is velveting. Marinating the chicken in egg, cornstarch, and sherry for 30 minutes creates a thin protective coat that seals in moisture during the blistering-hot stir-fry. The result is chicken that’s silky-tender inside rather than dry and stringy.

The wok needs to be hot, dry, and smoking before the oil goes in. This is non-negotiable for proper stir-fry. A cold or barely-warm wok leads to stewing, not searing, and the chicken turns gray instead of golden. Heat the wok over the highest flame you have, then add oil.

The drain-through-colander step is a classic restaurant technique. Pulling the chicken and vegetables out to drain excess oil keeps the final dish from being greasy, while the reserved oil goes back in to build the sauce.

Cashews go in last for a reason. They toast in the sauce just long enough to pick up flavor but not long enough to go soggy. Water chestnuts add their signature crunch, which is what makes this dish so distinctive. Canned is fine, but drain and rinse them well before using.

The whole wok cook runs maybe 4 to 5 minutes total once the oil is hot. Have everything prepped and ready, because there’s no time to chop during cooking.

Chef Tips

• Use a carbon steel wok if possible. It heats faster and hotter than nonstick or stainless.
• Roasted unsalted cashews are the best choice. Raw cashews taste flat, and salted throws off the seasoning balance.
• Cut chicken into uniform ¾-inch pieces so they cook evenly in the fast stir-fry.
• Make sure the chicken is patted dry before marinating. Wet chicken dilutes the velvet coating.

Variations

• Add a cup of broccoli florets or snow peas for more vegetable volume.
• Drizzle with toasted sesame oil at the very end for nutty aroma.
• Swap cashews for roasted peanuts for a Kung Pao-leaning version.