San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken)

The “three cups” refers to the heady amounts of rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil that chicken is braised in for this classic Taiwanese dish. A favorite of casual restaurants (re chao) as well as home cooking, the flavor combination is so good that you can find “three cup” squid, tofu and other proteins cooked in a similar style. For chicken, dark meat is traditionally hacked by a butcher to bite-size, bone-in chunks when you purchase it from a market. If you don’t live near an Asian grocery that can provide this cut, substitute whole, bone-in dark meat pieces (thighs and/or legs, or for more bite-size pieces, go for all party wings). Just don’t skimp on the ginger, garlic and basil — these powerful aromatics lift the dish from simply savory to sublime. The “three cups” refers to the heady amounts of rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil that chicken is braised in for this classic Taiwanese dish. A favorite of casual restaurants (re chao) as well as home cooking, the flavor combination is so good that you can find “three cup” squid, tofu and other proteins cooked in a similar style. For chicken, dark meat is traditionally hacked by a butcher to bite-size, bone-in chunks when you purchase it from a market. If you don’t live near an Asian grocery that can provide this cut, substitute whole, bone-in dark meat pieces (thighs and/or legs, or for more bite-size pieces, go for all party wings). Just don’t skimp on the ginger, garlic and basil - these powerful aromatics lift the dish from simply savory to sublime.

½ cup sesame oil

1 three-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins (about 3 tablespoons)

12 garlic cloves, peeled

2 large (about 1 ½ ounces total) scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces (about ½ cup)

2 small (about ⅛ ounces total) fresh red chiles (such as Thai chiles) (optional)

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs, or wings (flats and drumettes)

1 cup mijiu (Taiwanese rice wine), or Shaoxing (Chinese cooking rice wine) or dry sake

¼ cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (if unavailable, increase light soy sauce to ⅓ cup)

¼ cup rock sugar or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups packed Thai basil leaves

Steamed white short-grain rice

Directions at foodandwine.com

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