Recipe: Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken
rec.food.recipes/Nancy Van Cleave/1991

After spending much $$$ over the last few years at a local Chinese restaurant on Cashew Chicken, I devised the following recipe (which my husband now likes better than the original!)

boneless chicken, cubed
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger root
3 tbsp plum wine (or 1 tbsp plum sauce)
sliced mushrooms (optional)
dry roasted, unsalted cashews
1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch - depends on how much marinade is left
2 to 4 tbsp cold water

Marinate chicken at least 20 minutes in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger root and plum wine. Cook (with the marinade) over medium-high heat (or in microwave) until chicken is opaque. Add sliced mushrooms and cook; then add cashews.

In a separate container, mix cornstarch with cold water, then add to cooked mixture, and heat until thickened. Serve with basmati rice if you have it, otherwise white rice will do.