Recipe: Jeweled Chicken

Jeweled Chicken
source: Sunset Stir-fry Cookbook
serves 4

Look for the fruits in the gourmet or specialty food section.

1 egg white
cornstarch
2 whole chicken breasts (about 1 pound each) skinned, boned, and cut into strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 can (about 20 oz lychees) (I use walnuts or peanuts or cashews as a substitute)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
1 1/2 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
fresh cilantro (coriander )sprigs
sliced kumquats preserved in syrup.(canned figs works too)

In a bowl, beat together egg white and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add chicken and stir to coat. Set aside. In another bowl, gradually blend soy with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Drain lychees, reserving 6 tablespoons of the syrup. Add reserved syrup to soy sauce mixture along with vinegar and sugar. Place a wok or heavy cast iron skillet over high heat, when wok is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When oil is hot, add half the chicken mixture and stir fry until meat is no longer pink in center. About 3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside. Repeat to cook remaining chicken, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Return all chicken to wok. Blend in ginger, drained lychees and soy mixture. Stir until sauce boils and thickens. Garnish with cilantro and kumquats.