Name: Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: ½ cup sesame oil; 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 12 to 15 thick discs; 12 to 15 whole cloves garlic; 4 whole scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 to 3 small, fresh red chiles, halved or sliced (optional); 2 pounds bone-in chicken legs, thighs and wings, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces (or substitute with whole party wings, or the drumettes and flats of the wings, separated); 1 cup rice wine; ½ cup light soy sauce; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 cups packed fresh Thai basil leaves; steamed rice, for serving

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

This Taiwanese classic gets the name Three-Cup Chicken from the generous amounts of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine it calls for. I’ve adjusted this version slightly from the recipe that was printed in my cookbook, The Food of Taiwan.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

½ cup sesame oil

1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 12 to 15 thick discs

12 to 15 whole cloves garlic

4 whole scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 to 3 small, fresh red chiles, halved or sliced (optional)

2 pounds bone-in chicken legs, thighs and wings, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces (or substitute with whole party wings, or the drumettes and flats of the wings, separated)

1 cup rice wine

½ cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups packed fresh Thai basil leaves

steamed rice, for serving

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, and chilies, if using, and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Add the chicken pieces and lightly brown, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick, slightly syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes. If the sauce is not thick enough, continue cooking uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to your desired consistency.
Step 5
Stir in the basil and remove from heat. Serve immediately with the rice.

Reprinted with permission from The Food of Taiwan: Recipes from the Beautiful Island copyright © 2015 by Cathy Erway. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Buy the full book from Amazon.

Recipe notes

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