Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken

Method6 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix all 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon MSG if using, then stir to dissolve the sugar. Keep the complete sauce aside for step 4.

   Uses 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine · 2 tsp dark soy sauce · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tbsp brown sugar · 0.5 tsp MSG (optional)

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat all 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil in a pan over high heat. Add all 4 ginger slices, 8–10 sliced garlic cloves and 4 Thai chilies. Stir-fry until fragrant, watching the aromatics so they do not scorch; the source gives no fixed duration for this phase.

   Uses 1.5 tbsp sesame oil · 4 slice ginger · 8–10 clove garlic, sliced · 4 Thai chilies

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add all 450 g bite-size boneless chicken thigh pieces to the actual oil and aromatics from step 2. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are lightly browned. This is initial browning; keep the same chicken in the pan for the covered simmer.

   Brown chicken about 4 minutes · 4 minUses 450 g chicken thighs, boneless; cut into bite-sized pieces · All sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chilies fried in step 2

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Pour all mixed sauce from step 1 into the chicken and aromatics from step 3. Stir to coat, cover and simmer gently over medium heat for 15–20 minutes. Check the thickest chicken pieces reach 74°C (165°F), continuing if necessary. Uncover briefly if needed to reduce the sauce to a glossy glaze; the reminder covers the simmer rather than any extra reduction time.

   Simmer chicken 15–20 minutes · 15 minUses All actual chicken, aromatics and sesame oil cooked in step 3 · The complete wine-soy-sugar sauce and optional MSG mixed in step 1

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add a generous handful of Thai basil to the cooked chicken and glaze from step 4. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the leaves wilt and perfume the dish.

   Finish with basil about 1 minute · 1 minUses All actual chicken, aromatics and reduced sauce cooked in step 4 · a generous handful Thai basil

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Divide the finished basil chicken and glaze from step 5 between two servings. Serve hot with already-cooked steamed rice as desired and garnish with sesame seeds if wanted. Ready rice and sesame have no fixed amounts in the source.

   Uses The complete actual chicken, glaze and wilted basil finished in step 5 · hot steamed rice, as desired for serving · sesame seeds, as desired for garnish