Ingredients
CHICKEN BREAST
500 gr
BLANCHED ALMONDS
100 gr
SOY SAUCE
4 tbsp
GRATED GINGER ROOT
1 tablespoon
SHALLOT
1
FLOUR
to taste
PEANUT SEED OIL
to taste
YOU ALSO NEED IT
RICE PILAF
to taste
Chicken with almonds is a typical preparation of Chinese cuisine, simple but very tasty, perfect to serve both as a second course and as a single dish, combined with a portion of pilaf or basmati rice. One of the most loved and replicated specialties in the West, together with Cantonese rice and steamed ravioli , ready in just 20 minutes with a few simple ingredients: chicken breast pieces, peeled almonds, soy sauce and fresh ginger grated in moment.

To bring it to the table, simply brown the meat, cut into regular cubes, in a pan with a base of seed oil and shallots, then flavor it with soy sauce and grated ginger, and then enrich it with toasted almonds : thus you will obtain an exquisite and slightly spicy dish, worthy of the best oriental restaurants, which will conquer the whole family, including children. Once ready, you can enjoy the almond chicken on the occasion of a themed evening with friends, perhaps together with gua bao and  fried wontons , or you can simply cook it as a last-minute ” dinner saver ” idea.

When cooked, the floured meat will form a delicious and irresistible cream: if you prefer, for an even more enveloping result, you can replace the flour with potato starch , a truly natural gluten-free thickener (but if you suffer from gluten intolerances, do be careful to read the labels carefully because soy often contains it).

For this recipe we used a normal non-stick pan, but if you have it in the pantry our suggestion is to use a wok : the traditional cast iron pan which, thanks to its particular oval shape, with flared and high walls, will allow uniform cooking and of the chicken, sealing it perfectly on the outside, and leaving it tender and juicy at the heart.

Find out how to prepare chicken with almonds following the step-by-step procedure and advice. If you liked this recipe, try other tasty ways to cook chicken:

chicken with curry
pineapple chicken
devilled chicken
Chicken in Sweet and sour sauce
How to prepare chicken with almonds
Step 1
Cut the chicken breast into cubes of about 2cm on each side
1
.

Step 2
Let the chopped shallot fry with a knife in a pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil
2
.

Step 3
Meanwhile, coat the chicken nuggets in flour
3
.

Step 4
Coat the meat perfectly with the flour
4
, and eliminate the excess.

Step 5
Place the chicken pieces in the pan with the sautéed shallots
5
.

Step 6
Let the meat brown on high heat for a few minutes
6
.

Step 7
When the chicken has taken on a nice golden colour, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
7
and leave to flavor for 1 minute.

Step 8
Then flavor with grated ginger
8
and jumps briefly over the fire.

Step 9
Finish with almonds
9
, previously toasted in a pan, and the remaining soy sauce.

Step 10
Once cooked, remove from the heat
10
.

Step 11
Distribute the almond chicken onto individual plates, bring to the table and serve with a portion of pilaf rice
11
.

Advice
For a stronger flavour, we finished everything with a little freshly grated ginger, but if you prefer you can easily omit it from the preparation or, for a richer flavour, you can add the bamboo shoots a few minutes after cooking : easily available in ethnic shops or well-stocked supermarkets.

For this recipe we suggest using both light and dark soy sauce : the first, tastier, will serve to flavor the chicken, the second, denser and fuller-bodied, will give the dish its typical amber colour.

If you like, just before removing the chicken from the stove, you can add 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil : in this way the meat will take on a shiny and tempting appearance. Or, if you don’t have it at home, you can replace it with peanut or sunflower.

If you wish , you can use onion or spring onion instead of shallots while, to further reduce preparation times, you can purchase ready-made chicken strips from your trusted butcher.