Springfield, Mo Cashew Chicken

Mark & Stacy's Note:

My grandparents lived in Joplin, MO (just down the road from Springfield) and this has always been one of my favorite comfort foods. This is very different from the cashew chicken found in Asian restaurants in the rest of the country. It has been westernized almost to the point of not being Asian at all, but has become a regional favorite. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe found on Grouprecipes.com which is said to be the original recipe from Leong's Tea House in Springfield. I'm not sure if that's true, but it's pretty close to what I grew up with. Prep time includes the resting time for the chicken. The original recipe called for 9 tsp bouillon granules, but we thought it was a bit overpowering so we decreased it slightly. It's also possible to substitute the bouillon with 3 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 boneless chicken breasts , cut into big bite size chunks
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• peanut oil (for frying)

Sauce

• 3 cups water
• 4 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Garnish

• 6 -8 green onions , chopped
• ¾ cup cashews , chopped

Directions:

1. Chicken:.
2. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and then dredge in flour. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Mix eggs, milk, remaining salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
4. Place floured chicken into egg mixture and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken and roll the pieces in flour again.
6. Deep fry 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked and golden brown. (Other oil may be substituted, but the peanut oil will give the best color and texture.).
7. Sauce:.
8. Bring water to a boil and then dissolve bouillon granules.
9. Remove 1/4 cup of the bouillon and cool in the fridge. Add cornstarch to cooled liquid and mix until smooth.
10. Add sugar, salt, and oyster sauce to the boiling liquid.
11. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the hot liquid and cook at a low boil, allowing to thicken.
12. Serve chicken over steamed white (or fried) rice. Pour sauce on top and garnish with cashews and green onions.

Reviews

[Baer]

Wonderful dish! I did deviate from the posted recipe and added coarsely diced carrots, mushrooms, onions and bok choy. I used a wok and stir-fried the veggies in stages and while heating the peanut oil for frying the onions & carrot, I cut a medallion, 1/8 inch in thickness, of ginger root and fried that until golden and removed before continuing. Due to the high heat of wok cooking, the second dredging of chicken in flour introduced too much loose flour to the wok and caused the loose flour to burn. So I eliminated the second dredging and the chicken browned beautifully. While boiling the sauce, I also added grated ginger and a clove of pressed garlic. DO NOT skip in garnishing with the green onions. The green onions are the focal point for bringing all the flavors together and turn this recipe into a mouth-watering dish! Thank you for posting.