Lacquered Cashewnuts

These nuts are very welcome titbits when served with Chinese tea after dinner and, as they are not cloyingly sweet, they go equally well with drinks before dinner. Caramelising nuts, then deep-frying them, is perhaps the most complex of Chinese cookery techniques. To ensure success, it is therefore best to use ready-made golden syrup, rather than caramelising sugar from scratch. I am indebted to Michael Leung, executive chef of Now and Zen in Co vent Garden, for the success of this recipe.<