Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews

Name: Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews
Yield: Serves 4 as a main dish with rice
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1/4 cup, soy sauce; 1/4 cup, dry sherry; 1 cup, water; 1 pound, boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat, and prepared according to illustrations below; 2 tablespoons, toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon, cornstarch; 1 tablespoon, unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon, grated orange zest from one orange; 1/4 cup, low-sodium chicken broth; 1/4 cup, fresh squeezed orange juice; 1/4 cup, white vinegar; 2 teaspoons, soy sauce; 2 teaspoons, hoisin sauce; 1 teaspoon, cornstarch; 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon, red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon, minced fresh ginger; 2 medium cloves, garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); , peanut oil or vegetable oil; 1 cup, roasted unsalted cashews, toasted in dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 6 minutes; 1 1/2 pounds, broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 1/2-inches tall and 1-inch wide), stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 4 , medium scallions, sliced 1/4-inch thick on bias

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated May/June 2004

What's the key to tender, juicy stir-fried chicken? It's a technique called velveting.

SERVES4 as a main dish with rice

TIME1 hour, plus 20 minutes marinating

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

To avoid chicken that got dry and stringy when cooked on high heat, we came up with a solution: We soaked the chicken in a combination brine-marinade to add flavor and moisture. For extra insurance, we tossed the marinated pieces of chicken...

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