Chicken with Cashew Nuts

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 sides, not 3 pairs) cut into thin slices
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
• 1/4 c oil (canola, to be healthy...peanut, for more flavor)
• 1 c raw lightly salted whole cashews
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 c snow peas
• 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili oil (mongolian fire oil)
• 1 tsp sugar
• rice

You will need either a good, seasoned wok, or at least a large, heavy stainless steel frying pan. It would probably have worked better with a good wok.

1. Shake chicken with cornstarch in a bag, to coat.
2. Stir the chicken with the egg white until it's all coated.
3. Put the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. This is a good time to peel, mince, chop, measure, set up etc. Don't forget to make some sticky white rice.
5. Heat the canola oil in the pan, over medium heat. Don't let it smoke. I had to turn it up higher than I thought to get things really frying.
6. Stir-fry the cashews for a few minutes. Be very careful not to burn them. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible. Set them aside to drain on paper towels.
7. Stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked all the way through. Carefully remove it with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible. And yes, set it aside to drain on paper towels.
8. Add the ginger, green onions, and snow peas to the pan. Stir-fry for a minute or two.
9. Add the hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Keep stirring. The peas should turn a nice bright green color.
10. Return the chicken and cashews to the pan. Continue frying for a minute or so.
11. Add the fire oil and sugar. Fry for another minute or so, mixing everything together well.
12. Serve immediately over rice.

Notes: This could benefit from more sauce. I expect to begin this endeavor by stealing ideas from yet another recipe that called for a separate sauce made on the side. It was a little soy sauce, some chicken broth, and some cornstarch, cooked down. I would consider adding a few red pepper flakes to the sauce, and possibly adding a small amount of miced garlic along with the ginger and green onions.

Also, the sauce could probably be made in the pan, by adding liquids after the ginger and green onion, and then adding the snow peas when the sauce is almost cooked down.

Other recipes also called for adding some small amounts (a quarter cup or so) of white vinegar and/or sherry and/or white whine. I find that option less appealing, so I'll probably try the other sauce first.