Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

The story

San bei ji comes from Jiangxi, was perfected in Taiwan, and is now served in every Taipei night market with a crown of fresh basil. The name is the recipe: equal cups of the three liquids, reduced until the sauce clings. The garlic cloves stay whole and become sweet little bombs.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Boneless chicken thighs, chunked — 1.5 lb / 700 g
• Soy sauce — 3 tbsp
• Toasted sesame oil — 2 tbsp
• Rice wine (or dry sherry) — 3 tbsp
• Garlic — 8 cloves, whole, peeled
• Ginger — 8–10 slices

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (1 tbsp). Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Warm the sesame oil over medium-low; fry the garlic and ginger 2 minutes until fragrant but pale.
2. Raise heat; add chicken and brown 5 minutes.
3. Add wine, soy sauce and sugar; cover and simmer 12 minutes.
4. Uncover, raise heat, reduce 5 minutes until glossy. Fresh Thai basil for the last minute if you can get it — that is the Taiwanese way.

Swaps

No rice wine? Dry sherry (any supermarket) is the standard substitute; chicken broth plus a splash of vinegar in a pinch. Drums and thighs both work on the bone (add 5 minutes).