Honey walnut chicken is a delicious dish that combines deep fried battered pieces of chicken with candied walnuts tossed in an amazing light sweet honey sauce. This recipe is simple to make and makes a wonderful meal that the whole family will love. Enjoy!

1 cup whole shelled walnuts
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
2 to 3 cups peanut oil (for frying)

Sauce:
3 tbsp mayonnaise (Helmans works best in this recipe)
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
½ tbsp lemon juice

Batter:
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup half and half creamer
1/3 cup water

1. Place the butter in a small sauce pan and heat it on medium low until it melts.


2. Once the butter melts, add the walnuts and stir until they are completely coated with the butter.


3. Once they are coated with the butter turn the heat up to high and cook them for 1 minute stirring constantly.


4. Turn the heat back down to medium and sprinkle in the sugar while stirring to coat each walnut. Then cook them for another 2 minutes stirring constantly.


5. After 2 minutes, turn off the heat and set the walnuts aside to cool.


6. In a large cup mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce and then set this mixture aside.


7. Remove all of the fat from the chicken and then cut each breast into 1 to 2 inch pieces and set them aside.


8. Prepare the batter to coat the chicken by first mixing together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.


9. Then in a separate small bowl, mix together the creamer and the egg stirring until the egg is beaten and mixed into the creamer. Then add the water to the mixture and stir until combined.


10. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the batter forms and everything is mixed together.


11. Add the chicken pieces to the batter and stir until they are thoroughly coated. Do not remove them from the batter. We will drop them directly from the batter into the wok to be fried.


12. Heat the peanut oil on high. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium high.


13. Then add the chicken pieces one at a time directly from the batter, letting the excess drip off before placing them in the oil. Remember, we don’t want to overcrowd the wok, so depending on the size of your wok; the chicken will probably need to be cooked in batches. About 8 to 10 at a time for a standard sized wok.


14. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, turning them over half way through until both sides are brown. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Continue cooking the remaining chicken in batches.


15. Once all of the chicken pieces are cooked, toss them in a bowl with the sauce and the walnuts. Then they are ready to serve. Makes about 3 servings.