Chicken Stir-Fry with Cashews and Peppers

Ingredients

• 600g skinless chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle, white and green parts separated
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g mangetout, trimmed
• 80g roasted cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 300g jasmine rice, cooked to packet instructions, to serve
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced, to serve
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan, to serve
• fresh coriander, leaves picked, to serve
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Get the jasmine rice on first, cooked to packet instructions, then cover and keep warm — stir-fries wait for no one once the wok is hot.
2. Whisk the soy, honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, cornflour and water in a small bowl until the cornflour has fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Set it within arm's reach of the hob.
3. Toss the sliced chicken with the cornflour, a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper until every piece wears a fine, even coat. Season the protein now — at the end is too late.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for a minute or two, shaking until they turn pale gold and smell nutty. Tip onto a plate before they catch.
5. Heat the wok over a high heat until you see the first wisps of smoke, then add 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
6. Spread the chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for 2 minutes — don't crowd the wok, work in two batches if your pan is on the smaller side. Crowded chicken steams instead of searing. Turn once, cook another 2–3 minutes until golden at the edges and cooked through, then lift onto a plate.
7. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then the white parts of the spring onions, the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 30 seconds — just until fragrant. Burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter, so keep it moving.
8. Tip in the peppers and stir-fry for 3 minutes until they soften slightly but still hold a snap at the centre.
9. Add the mangetout and return the chicken with any resting juices. Toss for 1 minute until the mangetout turns vivid green.
10. Give the sauce a final whisk, pour it in and toss everything over the heat for 1–2 minutes until it thickens and coats the chicken in a glossy lacquer. Taste the sauce now — most of the salt comes from the soy, but a final pinch and a crack of pepper ties it together. Stir through the cashews and pull off the heat.
11. Spoon the jasmine rice into bowls, pile the stir-fry on top, scatter with the toasted sesame seeds, coriander leaves, sliced red chilli and the reserved spring onion greens, and finish with a generous squeeze of lime over each bowl.