Mimi Thorisson's Chicken & Cashew Stir-Fry
I stumbled upon this recipe on @mimithor‘s Instagram last year, just as I was contemplating what to make with the chicken and red peppers in my fridge. The moment I spotted the above photo of Mimi Thorisson’s dish, it took me back to a favorite meal I would order for lunch from the now-defunct Charlie Mom in the West Village, back when I worked at WWD on East 12th Street. It was as delicious and remarkably similar. This recipe will definitely be on repeat at Kitchen511.
Note: I made this dish in my carbon-steel wok, which I bought a number of years ago and love. When Catherine insisted we ditch all our toxic non-stick cookware, my old wok was the first to go. I can’t find the exact one I bought on Amazon, but here’s a similar style if you’re looking to add a safer wok to your kitchen.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4-5 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, approximately
2 red bell peppers, cut into small squares
2 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 large yellow onion, sliced coarsely
5 oz. unsalted cashew nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3-4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 pinch chili powder or 1 crumbled dried chili (optional)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (with 4 tbsps. lukewarm water to dilute)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I use olive or avocado oil)
Preparation
In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil on high heat and throw in the chicken until browned. Remove and set aside.
Add a bit of oil and fry cashew nuts until golden (about 3-4 minutes). Remove and set aside.
Add a bit of oil, fry onions for 3 minutes, then add peppers and garlic and continue frying for 3-4 more minutes. Always on a high heat, add tomato concentrate, oyster sauce, sugar, chili and soy sauce, then return chicken and cashew nuts to the pan, constantly stirring for 4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Add sesame oil and stir.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a bit of lukewarm water, just enough to dilute, and add to the pan. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Serve with freshly steamed white rice.
