Springfield Style Cashew Chicken
Chicken recipe coated in flour and eggs, deep fried and topped with a sweet and savory sauce.
Chicken recipe coated in flour and eggs, deep fried and topped with a sweet and savory sauce.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- 2 cups peanut oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion for topping
- 2 cups cashew halves
- Carbohydrate 55.6987267160162 g
- Cholesterol 653.663333333333 mg
- Fat 148.853446667523 g
- Fiber 3.90780002684317 g
- Protein 129.136033342848 g
- Saturated Fat 61.965631777904 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (846g)
- Sodium 1560.94222290684 mg
- Sugar 51.790926689173 g
- Trans Fat 11.5635604447728 g
- Calories 2080 calories
Step-by-step
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. In another dish or bowl beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces into flour mixture, then eggs, then flour mixture again. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet and deep fry coated chicken in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Meanwhile (while frying chicken), heat broth to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce and white pepper. Mix remaining 4 tablespoons cornstarch with a small amount of cold water in a cup. Stir cornstarch mixture slowly into broth mixture to thicken, then cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Heat cashew nuts and chopped green onions in preheated oven for about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over fried chicken and top with cashews and green onion. Serve with soy sauce to taste over a bed of fried rice, if desired.
The Double-Dip Starch and Egg Barrier
Peanut oil maintained at 350 degrees Fahrenheit rapidly dehydrates the exterior moisture of the chicken. Dredging the meat first in a flour and baking soda mixture, dipping it into beaten eggs, and returning it to the dry ingredients creates a thick, multi-tier crust. Baking soda acts as a leavening agent, generating microscopic carbon dioxide bubbles within the coating during frying. These expanding gas pockets yield a porous, crunchy surface designed to absorb the liquid glaze without disintegrating.
Thickening Dynamics of the Savory Glaze
Combining cornstarch with cold water before introducing it to boiling broth prevents the formation of insoluble lumps. Granulated starch molecules remain suspended in the cold liquid until thermal energy triggers gelatinization around 203 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisking this slurry into the simmering chicken broth, oyster sauce, and soy sauce mixture forms a glossy matrix that traps aromatic compounds like ground white pepper.
Thermal Toasting and Storage Behavior
Warming raw cashew halves at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes releases dormant nut oils, intensifying their nutty fragrance before they meet the heavy sauce. Storing leftover fried components separately from the sauce preserves structural integrity for up to 48 hours in refrigeration. Reheating the drained chicken on a wire rack inside a 350-degree oven restores crispness before the liquid elements are reintroduced.
