Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
Tender chicken thigh pieces braised with soy, rice wine, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and Thai basil until coated in a glossy mahogany sauce.
San Bei Ji turns a short list of aromatics and pantry sauces into an intensely savory glaze. The key is speed: seal the small chicken pieces, reduce the sauce only to a thin syrup, and add toasted sesame oil and basil after cooking so their aromas stay vivid.
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, stir together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and cooking wine until the sugar begins to dissolve. Set the sauce aside.
- 2
Heat the neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the ginger slices and optional whole chilies and stir for 30 seconds to perfume the oil without deeply browning the ginger.
- 3
Raise the heat to high. Add the chicken and toss for 2–3 minutes, just until every piece changes from pink to white on the outside while remaining raw inside. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
3 min
- 4
Pour in the sauce, scraping in all the sugar. Once bubbling, lower the heat to medium-high and simmer fairly briskly for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce becomes a thin syrup. If it reduces too quickly, restore it with a splash of water.
5 min
- 5
Stir in the toasted sesame oil, then the Thai basil. Toss for about 20 seconds, just until the leaves wilt. Serve immediately over white rice with all the concentrated pan sauce.
Ago's Notes
- Chicken thigh stays juicier during the quick braise. If using lean chicken breast, reduce the sauce for about 3 minutes instead of 5 so the meat does not overcook.
- Ginger is traditionally sliced so it perfumes the sauce and can be removed while eating; mince it if preferred.
- Thai basil is traditional. Regular basil or 2 green-onion stems cut into 5 cm lengths work as substitutes, though the flavor will differ.
- Do not replace light soy sauce with dark soy sauce. If dark soy is unavailable, use more light or all-purpose soy sauce, accepting a paler, milder result.
- Taiwanese mijiu is the traditional rice wine; Shaoxing wine is the usual substitute. For an alcohol-free version, replace the 2 tablespoons wine with 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock.
- The sauce is concentrated, so serve the dish with plenty of plain rice. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days; the dish is best freshly made.
Spoon every drop of the glossy sauce over the chicken and rice, then serve immediately while the basil is fragrant.
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