A Shiozawa family favorite, this recipe was given to me by Troy’s grandma, May Shiozawa, when I was a young bride. She told me, “Oh, this is a good one, and it’s so easy!” Well, Grandma, it is a good one, and not hard to understand, but I wasn’t prepared for the hours on my feet while chopping, dipping, and frying. But it’s worth it to put a beautiful dish of red-sauce covered chicken on the table for my salivating children.
Peanut Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
1/3 to ½ c. corn starch
½ tsp. garlic salt or seasoning salt
2-3 eggs, beaten and thinned w/ a little water
Mix corn starch w/ salt in a medium-size bowl w/ a lid, or in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add chicken cubes and toss to coat. Beat the eggs w/ water in another medium-size bowl. Dip chicken cubes in egg mixture, then drop pieces into hot oil (abt. 375 ). Let cook until light brown, abt. 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from oil w/ a slotted spoon and let drain on several layers of paper toweling. When chicken is all cooked, pour it into a large serving dish and place it in a warm oven while you prepare the sauce.
Sauce:
Pinch salt
1 clove garlic, crushed (I use crushed garlic from a jar)
1 c. sugar
2 c. cold water, mixed w/ 2-3 Tbsp. corn starch to thicken
¾ c. ketchup
Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken. The sauce will clarify as it thickens. Pour sauce over warm chicken. Garnish w/ chopped peanuts and chopped green onions.
Serve over hot rice.
