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walnut chicken

ingredients:
1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, skinned
1 egg white
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 ounces, about 1/4 cup, walnuts, shelled halves, or pieces
2/3 cup oil. preferably peanut
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

cut the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch cubes. combine the cubes with the egg white, salt and cornstarch in a small bowl, and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. blanch the walnuts in a small pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; then drain them.
heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet until it is moderately hot. add the chicken mixture and stir-fry it quickly in the oil to keep it from sticking, until it turns white. this will take about 2 minutes. drain the cooked chicken in a colander or sieve. the oil, once cooled may be saved for future stir-fried dishes with chicken.
put about 1 tablespoon of the oil in which you have cooked the chicken into a clean wok or skillet. reheat it until very hot. add the walnuts and stir-fry them for 1 minute. remove and set aside. add the garlic, ginger and scallions to the pan and stir-fry for a few seconds. return the walnuts to the pan and then add the rest of the ingredients. return the chicken to the pan and stir-fry the mixture for another 2 minutes. serve at once.

source: chinese cookery by ken hom

” this recipe pairs the crunchy textures of walnuts with the delicate flavor of chicken in a classic stir-fry dish. for a variation try this recipe with other nuts such as cashews, pine nuts or almonds, but be sure the nuts are fresh. stale nuts will ruin the flavor.” ken hom

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