Szechuan Chicken and Asparagus
- ½ cup raw cashews
- One and a half pounds, boneless chicken breast, cut 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pound asparagus, sliced on the diagonal, 1 inch thick
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the cashews in a pie plate and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, until they are nicely browned and fragrant. Let cool.
In a medium bowl toss the chicken with one tablespoon tamari, one tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine, salt and pepper. Set aside for 1-3 hours.
Combine chicken broth, rice vinegar, light brown sugar, sweet chili sauce and 3 tablespoons tamari in a bowl and keep aside.
Combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and keep aside.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil and ½ teaspoon dark sesame oil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Transfer to a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil and ½ teaspoon dark sesame oil and add the chicken in an even layer and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned. Remove from pan and transfer to plate. Heat pan with remaining peanut oil and dark sesame oil and add the ginger and garlic with the cooked asparagus. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth sauce and the chicken. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is thickened. Top the dish with the roasted cashews.
Serve with white or brown rice.
