This Szechwan Chicken with Walnuts is a favorite of our family for years. I found the recipe in The Chicago Tribune Food Guide long ago.
We spent 15 years living in the Chicago area from 1973 until 1988.
It is a great city with much to offer. We enjoyed our time there, but I can’t say we miss the winters. Brrrrrr….I get cold thinking about it.
It is where our sons were born and raised until we moved to Maryland so we have many wonderful memories from those days.
My youngest brother still lives there, and each time we go back to visit, the city seems to just get better, including of course, the many great restaurants.
In fact this recipe comes from a restaurant no longer there called the Szechwan House.
In the early days of my writing this blog I did mention this dish, but had never posted the recipe. There is a photo (you’ll notice my photos have improved since then), and a small blurb about the dish.
So here is the original recipe with some adaptions.
Feel free to add other vegetables to your liking such as carrots, snow peas, sugar snaps, broccoli, red pepper and onions.
I will admit I use the quick version (option 2) for glazing the walnuts and find them to be delicious.
However you choose to prepare them the the sweet, crunchy nuttiness of the walnuts complements the spiciness of the dish making it stand out among other chicken stir-fries.
So when you have some time to devote to making dinner one evening do yourself a favor and make Szechwan Chicken with Walnuts!
And now you’ll have the recipe…
Szechwan Chicken with Walnuts ( 3 to 4 servings)
To glaze the walnuts (option 1)
1 and ¼ cups sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 cup honey
1 cup shelled walnuts
2 cups peanut oil
Prepare walnuts about 3 and ½ hours before serving.
Place sugar and water in large heavy bottomed saucepan or frying pan and allow it to liquify over low heat.
When liquified, add honey and walnuts and remove from heat.
Allow walnuts to soak in mixture for 3 hours.
To glaze the walnuts (option 2)
Dip 10 ( or more) shelled walnut halves in ½ cup honey.
Then dip honeyed nuts in 1 cup sugar.
Set aside on plate until ready to fry.
Continue with the following recipe for whichever option you have chosen.
Place the 2 cups of peanut oil in large wok. Heat oil till hot, but not hotter than 350 degrees or the nuts will burn.
Using a slotted spoon, drain walnuts from sugar mixture. Carefully drop walnuts a few at a time into the hot oil. Deep fry until crisp.
Remove walnuts from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Strain the remaining oil in the wok, and reserve 1 cup of it for wok-frying the chicken.
Marinade for chicken
1 egg white
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cut in ½ inch dice
Mix the egg white, salt, cornstarch and water and pour into a ziplock plastic bag, or place in a bowl.
Add diced chicken, tossing to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons finely shredded ginger
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Chinese Rice Wine (Mirin)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
4 green onions, sliced
Mix soy sauce, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, black pepper, rice wine, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another small bowl mix the cornstarch with the water until no lumps remain. Set aside.
To cook
Quickly stir-fry any vegetables in a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) of oil and set aside.
Add the reserved 1 cup of oil to the wok and heat until very hot.
Carefully add the diced chicken and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Remove all but 3 tablespoons oil from the wok. Bring oil back up to temperature. .
Add the sauce mixture to the oil in the wok, stirring for a few minutes.
Return the chicken pieces to the wok, tossing well to coat with the sauce.
Add the cornstarch and water mixture stirring well to combine and coat chicken.
Return the vegetables to the wok, tossing with the chicken.
Add the green onions and stir fry to combine.
Add the reserved walnuts. Toss and serve.
