Three cup chicken Jacqueline Baechler

Three cup chicken (San Bei Ji )

Submitted by: Jacqueline Baechler, Associate Program Specialist Workforce & Benefi ts Administration - Program Planning & Support

My mother always says the key to a great San Bei Ji ( ) is the sauce. It needs to be sweet and savory but with a tiny hint of peppery fi re. San Bei Ji, also known as Three Cup Chicken, has been a comfort food of mine since I was little. My mother learned this recipe from her father and brought it with her when she emigrated from Taiwan. She has since passed it down to me. Three Cup Chicken is simple and easy but packs a punch when it comes to fl avor. Why is it called Three Cup Chicken? While the main ingredient is the chicken, three cups comes from the equal ratio of one cup of soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese rice wine (also known as Shaoxing Wine). Cooking it true to its name will leave you scratching your head and possibly with an upset stomach. My grandpa, his father, and his father’s father have repeatedly changed the recipe to better suit the changing palate. Cooked in an earthen clay pot until almost crispy and topped with crumpled basil, Three Cup Chicken is as easy to make as it is to pronounce.

A photo of Jacqueline’s maternal grandparents and their children, taken in Taiwan. Jacqueline’s mother is in the middle.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in 2-inch piece old ginger, peeled and cut into thin pieces 6 cloves garlic, peeled 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons toasted Asian sesame oil A big bunch Thai basil leaves

Optional ingredients:

Steamed white rice or rice congee Fresh Napa cabbage, washed and sliced Sliced Thai red chilis for that extra “blam!” of heat (add when cooking ginger and garlic)

Dark soy sauce: Chinese "dark" soy sauces are darker in color and thicker in texture, but tend to be lighter in saltiness. They are generally fermented for a longer period of time than their thin counterparts and often have added sugar or molasses, giving them a sweet-salty fl avor and viscous texture.

Shaoxing wine: is traditionally made with glutinous rice, steamed and fermented with lake water; the resulting liquid is stored in clay jars to mature. These wines have a sherry-esque fl avor that, when used with meats, often are said to remove the “meat fl avor” and allow for a more harmonious fusion with other ingredients.

Asian sesame oil: is made from toasted seeds making it a darker color compared to the lighter versions. Asian sesame oil is known for its rich, nutty fl avor.

INSTRUCTIONS

If using a clay pot:

1. Heat up a clay pot over high heat, add sesame oil, and then stir-fry garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add chicken and do a few quick stirs. 2. Pour Shaoxing wine, soy sauce (both regular and dark), and sugar over the chicken and stir. Cover the lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Add fresh Thai basil leaves and turn up the heat until the sauce thickens to your liking. 3. Remove from heat and serve with steamed white rice.

Using a skillet or wok:

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until simmering.

Add ginger and garlic and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer and cook, tilting the pan if necessary to submerge all pieces in the oil, for 1 minute. Flip chicken pieces and cook for 1 minute longer. 2. Add rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover the skillet to prevent splashes of oil and cook, turning the chicken pieces every few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. 3. Stir in Thai basil and remove from heat. 4. Serve immediately over freshly cut Napa cabbage and steamed rice.