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Three Cup Chicken… My Way

3CupChickenFinal

A good friend of mine brought to my attention a Taiwanese dish called “Three Cup Chicken”. The three cups come from the main ingredients: one of cup soy sauce, one cup rice vinegar, and one cup of sesame oil. After reading the various recipes, the amounts vary and stay close to the “one cup” amount.

The following is based on a recipe I found on Food Republic. My version differs in the amount of ingredients and I have substituted the sugar for honey and the rice vinegar for sherry.

3CupChickenIngredients

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs cut up into bite-size pieces. I’ve used de-boned thighs and removed the skin.
  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (with a teaspoon) sliced into thick discs
  • 6 - 7 whole cloves of garlic crushed
  • 1 bunch scallions. Cut the green part into one-inch sections. Reserve the whites.
  • 2 to 3 small Thai chilies, halved or sliced
  • 1/2 cup sherry
  • 1 cup soy sauce (I used Kikkoman brand). If you decide to use a soy sauce that contains caramel such as Swan or Aloha Shoyu, you may want to reduce the amount of honey.
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 packages or small bunches of Thai basil. (Don’t substitute with regular basil, since it is not as fragrant)

Directions

  1. In a wok or large sauté pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic cloves and brown.
  3. Add the ginger slices, the chilies and the whites of the scallions. Sauté until fragrant. 2 – 3 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken in batches. After one batch turns color, add the next batch until all the chicken has browned. 6 – 8 minutes.
  5. Add the sherry and soy sauce and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
  6. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the sauce reduces a bit. Longer if you want a darker color. Stirring occasionally.
  7. Add the green part of the scallions and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
  8. Take the wok off the heat and tear the Thai basil to release its aroma and add to the wok.
  9. Serve!

This dish is so popular, that recipe videos abound on YouTube.

Here are a few that I could find:

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