Judy's Chinese recipe for you

Diced chicken with walnuts (Tao Ren Ji Ding)

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts
3 green onions
2 green pepper
1 red hot (or bell) pepper
15 slices fresh ginger
(buy it, it's worth it!)
2/3 C walnut halves (or cashews)
 Seasoning sauce:
2T soysauce
1T rice wine or cooking wine
1/2 T Brown vinegar
1 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1t sugar
 
Marinate:
1/2 egg white (to marinate chicken)
1 T cornstarch
1T soysauce
 Deep-frying:
4C oil

Procedure:

  1. Cut up the chicken into 1" chunks and mix with marinade- let stand for at least 30 minutes
  2. Cut green onion into 1/2" long pieces. Cut green pepper and red pepper the same size as chicken chunks, and 15 slices of fresh ginger (or 3/4t powdered ginger). Fresh is far better- cut about the size of a quarter.
  3. Fry or crisp in oven 2/3 C walnut halves. Set aside and prepare the seasoning sauce in another bowl.
  4. Deep fry the chicken in oil that is not too hot, about 300F. If the chicken pieces stick together the oil is too hot- lower temp. Fry for 1/2 minute. Remove and drain off oil. Remove oil from pan or use a different pan for next step.
  5. In 2T oil stir fry the ginger. Add green onion and stir quickly for a few seconds and then add the green pepper (and red bell pepper). If you like hot and spicy, add the red hot pepper now. Now add the chicken and seasoning sauce, stir until thickened and heat thoroughly. Add the walnuts now and the red hot pepper (if it is used only for color). Serve with fresh steamed rice.

-Adapted from Pei Mei's Chinese Cook Book, Vol. One