Chinese New Year chicken recipe

One pot Chinese New Year chicken is perfect for sharing with friends and family. Ditch the takeaway and make this homemade dish instead. It's light, delicious and full of flavour. This recipe also chicken thighs, which makes it a cheap meal too.

Ingredients

• 4tbsp sunflower oil
• 500g mixed oyster and shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 12 medium bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 large mild red chilli, sliced
• 1tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
• 150ml Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 6tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 ½ tsp cornflour, mixed with 4tbsp cold water
• 1 tin water chestnuts, drained
• 2 bunches spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths, plus extra to serve
• 2x250g-300g packs egg noodles
• 40g cashew nuts, toasted and roughly crushed

Method

1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a large casserole dish, add half the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for 5 mins, until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with a further 1tbsp oil and the remaining mushrooms. Add 1tbsp oil to the pan and brown half the chicken, transfer to a separate plate, and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Add chilli and peppercorns and cook for 1 min.
2. Return chicken to the pan, pour in the wine, oyster sauce and 100ml water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook over a very low heat for 30 mins.
3. Add the cornflour mixture and stir well, then add the cooked mushrooms, water chestnuts, spring onions, stir through and cook for a further 15 mins, uncovered. Stir the noodles through to heat for the final 5 mins.
4. Serve scattered with nuts and finely sliced spring onions.