The takeout thunderclap: chicken and cashews in a glossy black-vinegar sauce with chilies and Sichuan pepper's electric hum — peanut oil running the wok.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
3
500 g
🍗 Chicken Thighs ›
diced
100 g
🌰 Cashews ›
roasted
3 tbsp
🥜 Peanut Oil ›
6
🌶️ Red Chili ›
dried, snipped
1 tsp
🌶️ Sichuan Peppercorns ›
2 tbsp
🍶 Soy Sauce ›
1 tbsp
🍶 Chinese Black Vinegar ›
1 tbsp
🍯 Honey ›
1 tbsp
❄️ Cornstarch ›
3 cloves
🧄 Garlic ›
3
🌱 Scallions ›
in batons
2 portions
🍚 White Rice ›
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
20m
Prep
10m
Cook
30m
Total
3
Serves
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Chicken Thighs — diced
Cashews — roasted
Red Chili — dried, snipped
Scallions — in batons
3 steps
Method
1
Velvet the chicken: toss with half the soy and the cornstarch, 10 minutes. Stir sauce: remaining soy, black vinegar, honey, 2 tbsp water.
2
Peanut oil ripping hot: chilies and Sichuan peppercorns 15 seconds (fragrant, not black), then chicken seared in a single layer, 4 minutes.
💡
Peanut oil's high smoke point and faint nuttiness is the traditional wok choice — it tastes like takeout because takeout tastes like it.
3
Garlic 20 seconds; sauce in to bubble thick, 1 minute; cashews and scallions tossed through. Rice underneath, numb-and-spicy hum throughout.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.