Sweet Spiced Chicken and Cashew Nuts

Slightly sweet and very nicely spiced tender chicken, mixed with the slight crunchiness of the onions and peppers.
Double yum on a plate!

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You will need:
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 star anise

1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns - ground using a mortar and pestle
1 cinnamon stick - broken in half
4 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 whole dried red chillies - seeds removed
1 red onion - sliced
1 brown onion - sliced
1 red bell pepper - cut into bite sized pieces
2 large chicken breast fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
2cm piece fresh ginger - sliced into matchsticks
a good handful of cashew nuts
3 spring onions - cut into 2cm slices

For the sauce mixture:
1 tbsp Shaoxhing rice wine
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (rice vinegar)
2 tsp brown sugar

How to do it:
Mix together in a small bowl the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. When it's nice and hot throw in the chicken and cook for a minute or so until almost cooked.
Remove the chicken and set aside.

Wipe the wok clean and add a little more oil and heat it up again.

When it's nice and hot, add the star anise, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and chillies, and cook for a few seconds until they smell lovely and spicy.

Now add the onions and the bell pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes before adding the ginger.
After a few seconds put the almost cooked chicken back in. Stir for a minute or so and then add the sauce mixture.
Keep stir frying for a further minute till everything is nicely coated with the sauce.
The chicken should be cooked so you can now add the cashews and spring onions.

Check the chicken is actually cooked, then add the cashew nuts and the spring onion.
Stir again and remove the star anise and cinnamon stick before serving immediately.