Chicken 4 Medium size dried mushrooms 2 t Each soy sauce, cornstarch, dry sherry & water dash of white pepper 1 1/2 lb Chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut in bite siz pieces 3 1/2 T Salad oil 1 sm Clove garlic, minced 1/2 c Sliced bamboo shoots 1/4 lb Snow peas, ends and strings removed Cooking sauce 1/2 c Water 1 T Dry sherry 2 T Oyster sauce 1/4 t Sugar 1 t Sesame oil 1 T Cornstarch Cover mushrooms with warm water, let stand for 30 minutes, then drain. Cut off and discard stems; squeeze mushrooms dry, thinly slice and set aside. In a bowl, combine soy, cornstarch, sherry, water and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat, then stir in 1 1/2 t of the oil and let stand for fifteen minutes to marinate. Prepare cooking sauce mix together wateaar, sherry, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch and set aside. Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add 2 T of the oil. When oil begins to heat, add garlic and stir once. Add chicken and stir fry until chicken is opaque (about 3 minutes). Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 T oil to pan. When oil is hot, add mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Stir fry for one minutes, adding a few drops water if pan appears dry. Add snow peas and stir fry for 1 1/2 minutes, adding a few drops more water if pan appearas dry. Return chicken to pan. Stir cooking sauce, add to pan, and cook, stirrin guntil sauce bubbles and thickens. Variations: Cashew or Almond Chicken first toast 1/2 c cashews or blanched almonds in 1 T salad oil over medium low heat until golden; remove from pan and set aside. Stir in nuts just before serving.
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