Sesame Chicken With Cashews and Dates
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4tablespoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil
- 12-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into about 12 “coins”
- 6 to 8garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1bunch scallions (white and green parts), cut into 2-inch lengths
- 3 to 4dried red chiles, or ½ teaspoon chile flakes
- 2pounds boneless chicken thighs (preferably skin on, but skinless is O.K.), cut into 2-inch chunks
- ½cup toasted cashews
- ⅓cup rice wine or dry sherry
- 3tablespoons dark soy sauce or tamari
- 4pitted dates, thinly sliced
- 3cups fresh basil or cilantro leaves, or a combination
- Rice vinegar or lime juice, to taste
- Cooked rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
605 calories; 40 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 569 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season the chicken with salt and pepper while you heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat until it’s very hot, at least 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil and swirl the pan; the oil should thin on contact. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, scallions and chile. Stir-fry until the garlic is golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the 2 remaining tablespoon oil, chicken and cashews, and stir fry until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes (turn down the heat if the cashews are browning too quickly). Add the rice wine, soy sauce and dates; simmer until the sauce reduces to a syrupy consistency and the chicken cooks through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the herbs, sprinkle with rice vinegar or lime juice, and serve over rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Tried this again because it was so promising. made modifications based on my first attempt and suggestions here. 1. I used 1.5 lbs of chicken. It was more appropriate for the amount of sauce. 2. I minced the ginger. The coins were a bit too strong 3. I doubled the amount of dates to increase the sweetness which was lacking in the last iteration 4. Smoked Sesame oil has a very low smoke point. Use another oil in the pan and add half sesame oil when you add the chicken. Turned out great!
Hey I just have to ask, is it even remotely possible that garlic put into a very hot oil will only turn slightly Brown at the edges after two to three minutes, as described in Direction number one of the recipe?? I think the garlic would be absolutely burnt to a crisp and therefore ruin the entire Dish as it would be just a bitter mess. Any comments on this by anyone?
Usually toasted sesame oil is used as a seasoning and regular sesame oil is used for sautéing. Here toasted is used for stir frying. Is this intentional?
Very good dish. Definitely 20-30 minutes prep for ingredients - I wish the NYT would say prep time and cook time - I frequently find they under estimate. There is no way this recipe can be prepped and cooked in 20 minutes. Thanks Melissa Clark for another great recipe.
In my (admittedly limited) experience with Asian ingredients, the color and depth of flavor of toasted sesame oils can vary widely with different brands. Might that make the differing experience
I had to tweak this recipe a little. I used boneless chicken breast that I halved and pounded out. When i initially made the sauce as directed, I found it to be way too salty. I added lite coconut milk to taste and a sprinkling of brown sugar. It turned out great and was even tastier the following day for lunch.