Rich, dark, aromatic and quick to make this easy three cup chicken Chinese dish is perfect for those days when is cool outside and you want something hearty but not heavy for dinner.

three cup chicken

• 8 chicken drum sticks
• ½ cup sesame oil
• ½ cup light Soy
• ½ cup Chinese Shaoxing rice wine or dry white wine
• 1 heaped tablespoon grated ginger
• 8 garlic cloves finely sliced
• 2 bullet chilies seeded thinly sliced (add more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon grated palm sugar or brown sugar

to serve

• coriander leaves
• a few slices of chilli

three cup chicken method

In a large wok or frying pan on a medium high heat fry the drumsticks in the sesame oil until golden. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and fry till fragrant. Add the soy and Chinese Shaoxing rice wine (or dry white wine) and the sugar, turn the heat to low put a lid on the wok and cook gently for about 20 minutes, turning the chicken regularly until its dark brown, tender and just falling off the bone. (add a little water if it’s starts to get a little dry during the cooking process) When the chicken is cooked the sauce should be dark thick and syrupy. If not remove the drumsticks from the wok bring the sauce to a fast simmer and reduce till its shiny and syrupy. Serve immediately scattered with coriander leaves and sliced chilies with steamed rice and steamed green vegies.

Serves 4. Preparation time 15 minutes cooking time 30 minutes.

Did you know:

The dish derives its name from the three cups of sauces required. For each chicken, a cup each of soy sauce, rice wine (usually mijiu although it may be mixed with Shaoxing jiu), and sesame oil are added. Lin Shangquan, a famous chef in Taiwan, believes that the traditional recipe called for a cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar, with added ginger, garlic, and basil.

The chicken, together with the sauces, is cooked in an earthenware pot on high heat for ten minutes, then on low heat to allow the sauces to be absorbed by the meat. The dish is usually served in its cooking pot when the sauce has 80-90% reduced. Sanbeiji is served with no sauce; the dish is cooked until all the sauce evaporates and is absorbed by the chicken. When it is served at the table, the chicken should be sizzling—even popping—on the cusp of burning. This gives the chicken a crisper texture (and richer flavor) unlike most other Chinese or Taiwanese stewed dishes. The dish is then eaten with either steamed rice or rice congee. Source: Wiki