Three cup chicken

Three cup chicken, also known as 'San Bei Ji' in Mandarin, is a popular Taiwanese dish of chicken braised in sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. While the name of this dish historically came about from the traditional ratio of the three braising ingredients, one of the myths about three cup chicken is that it must always be cooked in equal proportions of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. This method for three cup chicken reduces the sesame oil quantity slightly to ensure a still flavoursome, but less oily, result.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 thick slices ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 3 chicken marylands, cut into 5 cm pieces on the bone using a cleaver
• 3 tbsp sake
• 1½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 large red chilli, sliced on an angle
• 2 cups loosely packed Thai basil leaves

Instructions

1. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for about 3 minutes, or until starting to brown. Remove the ginger and garlic with a slotted spoon to a small bowl, then add the chicken and fry for about 4 minutes, or until browned.

2. Return the garlic and ginger to the pan with the sake, soy sauce, dark soy and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the sesame oil, chilli, Thai basil leaves and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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