Chicken with Walnuts and Hoisin Sauce

This is an interesting mixture of ingredients, and is both sweet and salty.

I love food cooked using Hoisin sauce - this is the sauce that is used in Peking Duck which is one of my all time favourite foods.  It has an unusual taste, and goes very well with so many other ingredients, whether they are vegetarian or meat dishes.

This meal has a rich and unusual flavour, and could be also served with steamed vegetables. 

Cashew nuts could replace the walnuts if need be, however I had walnuts in my fridge so that is what I used in this instance.

I served it over potatoes so that I could soak the sauce into the potatoes, and then I dipped fresh home made bread into the left over sauce!  This was delicious and well worth eating a bit less so you can fit this in.

And remember, as I always say, my lovelies, do NOT over cook chicken breasts - they become dry and tough when overcooked.  If you JUST cook them so the pink is only just gone, they will be melt in your mouth delicious.

I mostly use Mt Barker chicken which is a West Australian free range chicken company, and although more expensive, I find their chicken has less fat, and is always tender.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
Makes: 2 - 3 servings

Ingredients
350 g skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 tsp cornflour
1½ tsp rice wine or dry sherry
½ tsp grated ginger
1½ tbsp  Hoisin sauce
¾ tsp sugar
1¾ tbsp dark soy sauce
1½ tsp garlic crushed
80 g walnut halves, toasted
¾ tsp sesame oil

Instructions
Place the cut chicken in a bowl and add the cornflour, rice wine and the ginger.

Mix this well, and set it aside.

In a small bowl, mix the Hoisin sauce, sugar, soy sauce and 2 tbsp water.

Stir until this is smooth, and set it aside.

Heat some oil and garlic in a wok over a high heat until the oil is hot, and the garlic sizzles.  Stir the chicken mixture again, and add it to the wok.

Stir for 2 - 3 minutes until the chicken is almost done.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the sauce mixture.

Continue stirring until this is well blended, and then add the walnuts and sesame seed oil.

Stir it a few times and then serve immediately.  I served it on top of a few microwaved potatoes.