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Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
Taiwanese chicken braised in sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine with lots of garlic, ginger and basil.
Ingredients
| Volume | Grams |
|---|---|
| 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, chopped into pieces, or boneless | 907 g |
| 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil | 41 g |
| 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced | — |
| 12 garlic cloves, peeled | — |
| 3 dried red chiles, optional | — |
| 3 tbsp rice wine, Shaoxing or mijiu | — |
| 3 tbsp soy sauce | 48 g |
| 1 tbsp granulated sugar, or rock sugar | 12.4 g |
| 2 cups Thai basil leaves | — |
Gram weights use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; amounts given in lb or oz are converted by weight (1 lb = 453.6 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g); “—” means the ingredient isn’t on the chart, so measure it by volume or count. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it.
Method
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok over medium. Add the ginger slices and fry until curled and golden, then add the garlic and chiles and fry until the garlic is golden.
- Turn the heat up, add the chicken, and cook until browned on the outside.
- Add the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar, stir, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Uncover and cook until the sauce reduces to a sticky glaze.
- Toss in the basil until just wilted and serve hot with rice.
Tips
- The name refers to the old one-cup-each ratio of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine; home cooks now use much less.
- Use plenty of basil; it's the signature aroma.
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