Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Method

1. Cut the chicken into roughly 4 cm pieces (ask the butcher to chop bone-in thighs for you) and pat them dry with paper towels. Slice the unpeeled ginger into 2 mm coins. Peel the garlic cloves but leave them whole. Break the chillies in half and shake out the seeds if you prefer less heat. Pick the basil leaves off the stems.

2. Put the sesame oil and ginger into a cold 24 cm wok, clay pot or heavy pan and turn the heat on to medium-low heat. Fry for 4 min, stirring now and then, until the ginger edges curl, shrink and turn golden. Keep the heat moderate: sesame oil burns and turns bitter on high heat.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame oil (black sesame oil if you can find it) 3 tbspFresh ginger 35 g

   medium-low heat

3. Add the whole garlic cloves and chillies and keep frying over medium-low heat for 2 min, until the garlic is light golden on all sides and smells sweet.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 10Dried red chillies 2

   medium-low heat

4. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat, add the chicken skin side down and leave it for a minute before stirring. Cook for 5 min in total, turning the pieces, until the outside is no longer pink and lightly browned in places.

   Add in this stepChicken thighs (bone-in or boneless) 500 g

   medium-high heat

5. Pour in the rice wine and soy sauce and add the rock sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low heat, cover with the lid slightly open and simmer for 14 min, stirring every few minutes so nothing sticks. The chicken should be almost cooked through and the sauce darker.

   Add in this stepRice wine (Taiwanese mijiu, or dry sake) 5 tbspSoy sauce 3½ tbspRock sugar (or brown sugar) 18 g

   high heat→medium-low heat

6. Uncover, turn the heat up to medium-high heat and cook for 4 min, stirring constantly, until the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy glaze that coats the chicken and only a little remains in the pan. Cut into the thickest piece: the juices must run clear with no pink near the bone.

   medium-high heat

7. Turn off the heat, throw in the basil and stir for a few seconds until it wilts and smells fragrant. Cover for 30 seconds so the aroma soaks in, then serve straight from the pot with plenty of steamed rice.

   Add in this stepThai basil leaves 20 g