Oriental Chicken Stir-fry with Broccoli and Cashew Nuts

First you need to cut the chicken into strips, which should be about ¼ x 2 inches (0.5 x 5 cm).

Then place them in a bowl and toss with the cornflour and five-spice powder so that all the strips get an even coating. Next, sprinkle in the soy sauce and give the whole thing a really good toss. Then cover the bowl and leave it aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. The shiitake mushrooms should be cut into thin slices and the broccoli needs to have the heads cut – also in thin slices – and the stalks cut into very thin diagonal slices. What you do with the spring onions is chop the white part quite small and the green part into very thin shreds.

When you are ready to cook the stir-fry, first heat one tablespoon of oil in the wok and, when it's very hot, fry the cashew nuts for 45-60 seconds until they are a lovely golden brown colour. Keep them on the move all the time, then remove them to a plate using a draining spoon. Now add another tablespoon of oil, and again, when it becomes really hot, keep the heat high and stir-fry the chicken in two batches, giving each batch 2-3 minutes, until it turns crisp and golden and is cooked through. As the chicken cooks, remove it to a plate and keep warm.

Now add the last tablespoon of oil, this time keeping the heat at medium. Stir-fry the chopped onion and garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes. Then turn the heat up to high again, add the mushrooms and broccoli and stir-fry these for a further minute, tossing them around all the time so they come in contact with the heat at all sides. Return the chicken and cashew nuts to join the rest, season with the salt, then add rice wine (or dry sherry and soy mixture). Turn the heat down to medium, then add the chopped spring onions, cover with a lid, and let it all cook for just 1 minute.

Serve immediately on a bed of rice noodles or plain steamed rice, with the rest of the finely shredded raw spring onion sprinkled over.