Dish of Chicken Cashew Stir Fry
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Chicken Cashew Stir Fry


Brazil   -   Xadrez
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 w/rice
***
1-1/4 hrs
Prep		 This stir fry reveals the strong Asian influence in Brazil. Xadrez is the name for Chess in Brazil, referring to ingredients cut into 1 inch square. My example is not so neatly squared to minimize waste.




12
3/4
5
2
1/3
7
7
4
-----
3/4
2
1
-----
1/2
1/2
3
oz
c
oz
cl
in
oz
oz
oz
---
c
T
T
---
t
t
T
Chicken Meat (1)  
Cashews, raw
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Bell Pepper grn
Bell Pepper red
Mushrooms (2)
-- Sauce
Chicken Stock
Soy Sauce
Cornstarch
-------------
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Prep   -   (40 min)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into squares about 1 inch on a side by whatever thickness it is.
  2. Dry pan roast CASHEWS until lightly browned. They will be unevenly browned, but will have a very different flavor and texture from commercially roasted.
  3. Chop ONIONS small. Crush GARLIC and chop small. Slice GINGER crosswise very thin. Cut slices into narrow strips, then cut the strips crosswise into tiny dice. Mix all.
  4. Core BELL PEPPERS and cut into 1 inch squares.
  5. Cut MUSHROOM STEMS flush, then cut Mushrooms crosswise into circles about 3/16 inch thick. Cut slices in half if too large.
  6. Mix together all Sauce items
Run   -   (30 min)
  1. Season Chicken with 1/2 t Salt and 1/2 t Pepper. Massage it in well.
  2. In a Wok or spacious Skillet, heat Olive Oil and fry Chicken over high heat, tumbling often until lightly browned all over. Make sure the fond that adheres to the pan doesn't get too dark (reddish brown is OK, chocolate brown is getting too dark). Remove and set aside (it may not be cooked fully through).
  3. Stir in Onion mix and fry stirring over high heat about 2 minutes. Stir in Bell Peppers until well coated with oil, then stir in the Mushrooms. Fry stirring another 2 minutes.
  4. Stir in Chicken and continue to fry stirring for a few minutes until it is thoroughly hot.
  5. Stir in Stock mix and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
  6. Stir in Cashews and simmer another 1 minutes.
  7. Serve with plenty of steamed long grain rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Weight is skinless, boneless chicken meat. The pattern recipe called for breast, but I use leg and thigh meat for better flavor and texture than the cardboard breasts we get around here. Those don't slice as neatly into squares as breast, but I'm willing to make that compromise.

  2. Mushrooms:

      Regular White Mushrooms can be used, or consider some of the small Giant Trumpet Mushrooms now common (at least here in Southern California) with stems about 1-1/4 inches diameter. For details see our Mushrooms and Fungus page.
  3. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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