Three Cup Hen (San Bei Ji) is a well-liked Taiwanese dish of rooster braised in a sweet-savoury soy sauce with numerous garlic and ginger. It’s a terrific fast recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare dinner, and it’s acquired the form of flavours that’s a assured hit with everybody – children, grown ups, fussy eaters!
Taiwanese Three Cup Hen
I really like discovering new recipes that tick all my mid-week dinner packing containers – fast, pantry staples, universally liked flavours – however is one thing a bit totally different! It is a Taiwanese rooster dish the place chew dimension items of rooster are simmered in a garlic-ginger ahead soy primarily based sauce so every bit absorbs all of the flavour because it reduces right into a shiny syrup. It takes simply 10 minutes on the range and is made for serving over loads of rice.
And as if the deliciousness and pace wasn’t sufficient, I additionally get to inform folks “it’s Taiwanese”. Sounds much more unique than “rooster in soy sauce” and makes me appear far more worldly than I actually am. 😂
Truly, Three Cup Hen originates from the Chinese language mainland, however over time additionally turned extremely popular in Taiwan. At the moment it’s recognized extra with Taiwan than its mainland China origins. The title is alleged to have come from the sauce made with 1 cup of every soy sauce, sesame and cooking wine. We don’t use that a lot (!!!) however the ingredient ratios are usually not that far off so perhaps there may be some reality to the story!
So, let me get onto the recipe and present you ways straightforward it’s to make, so you can begin dropping “Taiwanese Three Cup Hen” into very dialog too! 😂
Components in Taiwanese Three Cup Hen
Right here’s what it is advisable to make this. Brief ingredient listing and primary substances! When you’ve already spied Thai Basil and are pondering that isn’t precisely primary….. I concur. However common basil and even inexperienced onion works rather well too. So I’m nonetheless counting this one as primary. 🙂
1. THE CHICKEN AND AROMATICS
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Hen – I actually advocate utilizing thigh fairly than breast right here as a result of it’s holds up higher to the braising (ie. juicier). Bone-in items of chew dimension meat are historically used on this dish which you’ll be able to completely go for should you want. However I’ve used boneless for comfort – quicker to prepare dinner, and no selecting bones out as you eat.
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Garlic and ginger (tons!) – This dish will get an enormous quantity of flavour from loads of garlic and ginger. You’ll want 6 slices of ginger and 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (about 5 to six cloves).
The ginger is historically sliced fairly than minced so it gently perfumes the sauce because it braises, fairly than ending up combined by it. Simply decide the slices out as you eat, or mince the ginger should you want.
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Thai Basil – Taiwanese meals makes use of Thai Basil so much! It’s the similar basil utilized in Thai meals, like in Thai Basil Hen. It tastes like Italian basil besides it has a slight aniseed flavour to it. However should you don’t have it or can’t discover it, don’t fear, you may substitute with common basil in a pinch (the flavour is shut sufficient) and even inexperienced onion lower into batons – certain, it gained’t strictly be Three Cup Hen but it surely’s nonetheless a really tasty rooster dish!
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Dried chilli – That is stored complete fairly than chopped, so it provides a faint, barely noticeable spiciness. When you don’t have complete chillies, use chilli flakes as an alternative (purple pepper flakes). Or, for no spiciness in any respect, simply omit it.
three cup rooster sauce
Right here’s what you want for the sauce.
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Chinese language cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) – or Taiwanese cooking wine which might be the normal alternative if you’ll find it (mijiu). This brings additional depth of flavour into the sauce, in addition to salt. When you’ve ever made a easy stir fry and thought the sauce tasted uninteresting, prefer it’s lacking “one thing” – somewhat slosh of cooking wine would repair it. 🙂
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Gentle and darkish soy sauce – Gentle soy brings salt, whereas darkish soy provides color and richer soy flavour. Darkish soy is what stains the rooster that pretty golden color!
Common soy can substitute gentle soy. You may as well substitute darkish soy with gentle or common soy, although the rooster and sauce can be paler and milder. Don’t substitute gentle soy with darkish – it’s far too intense!
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Sugar – Three Cup Hen sauce is somewhat bit candy. Some eating places make it sweeter than others. I take advantage of 1 tablespoon which makes it so you may style a little bit of sweetness, however doesn’t make the sauce candy like, say, Chinese language Orange Hen.
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Sesame oil – A definite flavour on this dish, although refined! Stir it in on the finish as a result of sesame oil loses its aroma when cooked. You should definitely use toasted sesame oil (brown), which has a a lot stronger flavour than untoasted sesame oil (yellow), the kind largely bought in well being meals shops in Australia.
Easy methods to make Taiwanese Three Cup Hen
The pace at which this cooks will shock you – it stunned me! It shouldn’t take you greater than 10 minutes from begin to end. If it does, it means the rooster has been on the range longer than mandatory and won’t be as succulent because it could possibly be.
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Combine sauce – Pour the substances right into a small bowl and provides it a fast combine.
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Flavour the oil – Warmth the oil on medium in a non-stick pan. Then toast the ginger and chillis for 30 seconds to flavour the oil. You don’t need the ginger to go too golden at this stage, else it’s going to burn when searing the rooster (as I came upon first hand).
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Seal rooster – Flip the warmth as much as excessive then add the the rooster and toss for two to three minutes to seal the floor, however maintain it uncooked on the within. As soon as the skin of all of the rooster adjustments from pink to white, add the garlic and toss for an additional 30 seconds (it’s going to scent superb as a result of we use numerous it!!)
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Add sauce – Pour within the sauce, combine, then deliver it to a simmer. Decrease the warmth to medium excessive so it’s simmering pretty energetically. Not wildly fast like boiling water for pasta (sauce will scale back too shortly) however not gently (the sauce will take eternally to scale back).
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Braise 5 minutes – Simmer for 4 to five minutes, stirring now and again so the rooster will get coated and stained by the sauce, till the sauce reduces down and turns into like a skinny syrup. Whenever you drag the spatula throughout the bottom of the pan, you must have the ability to briefly see the bottom earlier than the sauce covers it again up. By this time, the rooster also needs to be a beautiful golden mahogany color.
💡 The video is a useful information for sauce thickness. Don’t scale back and let it thicken an excessive amount of but as a result of it’s going to thicken extra (and shortly) within the subsequent step, plus as you serve, and also you’ll be left with no sauce! 😢 Although, if it does, simply add a splash of water and also you’ll resurrect it, so don’t fret!
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End – Add the sesame oil and basil leaves, then stir for 20 seconds or so simply till the basil wilts. And also you’re performed!
What to serve with Taiwanese Three Cup Hen
That is fairly a powerful flavoured dish so serving it with rice is important, in any other case I feel you’ll discover it too salty. There’s really lower than 1/4 cup sauce within the pan which I do know doesn’t sound like sufficient to serve 4. However I promise it’s, as a result of it’s so concentrated you solely want a few teaspoons per serving, and there’s sauce coating every bit of rooster too. Spoon the sauce over the rooster then jumble all the things collectively so the rice will get sauced up, then dig in and luxuriate in!
Add some cherry tomatoes and contemporary cucumber slices on the aspect for a beautiful contemporary distinction, or for one thing extra substantial a giant Asian Slaw or Changs Crispy Noodle Salad. In order for you a aspect of steamed greens, my go-to Asian Sesame Dressing goes with “all the things”, from broccoli to peas, to sautéed cabbage. Make a giant bottle and maintain it in your fridge! – Nagi x
Watch the best way to make it
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Taiwanese Three Cup Hen
Prep: 8 minutes
Cook dinner: 10 minutes
Principal
Asian, Taiwanese
Servings4
Faucet or hover to scale
Components
- 1 1/2 tbsp plain oil – canola , vegetable, peanut
- 600g/1.2 lb rooster thighs , boneless, skinless, lower into 2.5cm/1″ items (Observe 1)
- 6 slices ginger , ~3mm / 1/8″ thick (Observe 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely minced garlic , about 5 – 6 cloves (sure, tons!)
- 2 dried purple chillies (barely noticeable spicy, however can omit, or sub 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes)
- 1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup (calmly packed) Thai basil leaves , substitute common basil leaves or 2 inexperienced onion stems lower into 5cm/2″ lengths (Observe 3)
Stop display from sleeping
Directions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
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Toast ginger and chilli 30 sec, seal rooster, including garlic in direction of finish. Add sauce, braise 4 – 5 min till syrupy, stir in sesame oil and basil leaves. Serve!
FULL RECIPE
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Sauce – Combine the substances in a small bowl and put aside.
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Seal rooster – Warmth the oil in a non-stick pan over medium low. Add the ginger and chillies, stir for 30 seconds. Flip warmth as much as excessive, add rooster and stir till the floor is adjustments from pink to white, but it surely’s nonetheless uncooked inside. Add the garlic and stir for an additional 30 seconds.
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Braise – Add sauce, ensuring to scrape out all of the sugar from the bowl. Stir, and as soon as it begins effervescent, scale back the warmth to medium excessive or medium so it is simmering pretty quickly however not wildly – not too low else it’s going to take ages to scale back, not too excessive else the sauce will scale back too shortly (if it does, add a splash of water). Simmer for five minutes, stirring to stain every bit of rooster throughout with color, till the sauce reduces and adjustments from watery to a skinny syrup.
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End – Stir within the sesame oil, then the Thai Basil leaves till it wilts (~15 seconds). Serve over rice, ensuring you employ all of the syrup within the pan! (It is intense, so you do not want a lot)
Recipe Notes:
2. The ginger is historically sliced fairly than minced so it gently perfumes the sauce because it braises, fairly than ending up combined by it. Simply decide the slices out as you eat, or mince the ginger should you want.
3. Thai basil leaves – The normal herb, with a particular aniseed flavour that basically makes this dish. When you don’t have it, don’t let it cease you making this! I’ve made this with Italian basil and liked it. And I’ve used inexperienced onion as an alternative as nicely. Completely different, sure, however nonetheless scrumptious and completely value making.
4. Soy sauces – Don’t substitute the sunshine soy with darkish soy as it’s a lot too intense. Nevertheless, should you don’t have darkish soy, you need to use extra gentle soy however simply remember the rooster gained’t go the golden mahogany color pictured.
5. Cooking wine brings depth of flavour into the sauce. Taiwanese rice wine (mijiu) could be the normal alternative if you’ll find it, in any other case Chinese language cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) is the commonest substitute. It might take an distinctive palette to inform the distinction. 🙂 For non alcoholic, use 1/4 cup rooster inventory/broth, low sodium.
Leftovers will maintain for 3 to 4 days within the fridge. It would freeze okay but it surely’s a lot better made contemporary.
Diet per serving, assuming 4 servings. Excludes rice.
Diet Info:
Energy: 272cal (14%)Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fats: 16g (25%)Saturated Fats: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 7gTrans Fats: 0.04gLdl cholesterol: 119mg (40%)Sodium: 783mg (34%)Potassium: 368mg (11%)Fiber: 0.3g (1%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 30IU (1%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 23mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Lifetime of Jaffle
Jaffle replace: 10% cuteness. 90% fluffy legal. Progressing simply as anticipated! Consuming the home…
Stole dinner….
Tissue monster….
Slipper thief….
And I’m not going to indicate you a photograph of what he simply did on my white sofa…..🤯😩
However then he appears up at me along with his candy little eyes and I simply can’t keep mad at him……😖
Completely happy Bastille Day everybody! Celebrated on Sunday on the Le Marche French Markets at Woolwich dock (Sydney). Music, meals, pet treats! How did I not learn about these month-to-month markets a stone’s throw from my yard till 4 days in the past???
PS The stall behind me makes Flammekeuche that are the deliciously crisp Alsatian flatbreads topped with crème fraîche as an alternative of tomato sauce, typically described as French pizza. I looooove them!! Hoping JB will share a recipe quickly!
