If you are like me, you can have Chinese food every night of the week. This is a wonderful recipe which requires few ingredients and can be made in very little time. If you can get fresh Thai Basil, which has a very anis-like flavour, the dish will come to life and reach, yet another level. 3 Cup Chicken (Sanbeiji) originates from Jiangxi province in Southern China. Traditionally associated with Hakka cuisine, it is now a staple in Taiwan. We can trace its origin to the 13th-century Song Dynasty as a simple braised dish. The name stems from the original recipe requiring one cup of each soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. This version is a healthier one with very little oil and soy sauce for that matter, giving the dish a complex, yet subtle mix of flavours. If you want dinner under 30 minutes, you can prepare this dish whilst the rice is cooking and have both elements ready at the same time.
INGREDIENTS
Serving 4
4 Chicken thighs – cut in bite size pieces
3 Cloves garlic finely minced
4 Slices fresh, peeled ginger
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Full tablespoon Brown Sugar (rock sugar if you can find)
1/2 Cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 Hot red pepper finely sliced (optional)
PREPARATION
Preheat a wok of saute pan and pour the sesame oil on a medium hot pan. Pour the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or so. You can add the Add the chicken pieces and saute until they start to brown, reduce the heat and add half the basil leaves and saute for another minute. Add the light and dark soya sauces, rice wine vinegar and sugar and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, until fully cooked and tender. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a minute.
Just before serving, add the remaining basil leaves and serve with a steamed rice.
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