Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
- camissonia
- Oct 26
- 1 min read
A traditional Taiwanese dish, the three main ingredients (other than the chicken) are sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. The name "Three Cup" suggests that you should use one cup of each of these ingredients. But in my version (for 2-3 lbs. of chicken) I actually use 1/4 cup regular soy, 1/4 cup dark soy, 1/4 cup rice wine, and 1/4 cup of sesame oil. IMHO, one cup of any of these in this recipe maybe too much of a good thing...To die for served over steamed white rice! Pre-marinating the diced chicken in baking soda and then rinsing it off before cooking makes the meat super tender! Also, if you can't find Taiwan or Thai basil, it's ok to substitute with regular basil.
1
Searing the Beef
Sear beef fillets on high heat for 2 minutes per side to form a golden crust. Let it cool before proceeding to keep the beef tender.
2
Mushroom Duxelles
Cook the mushrooms until all moisture evaporates to prevent soggy pastry. Aim for a thick, paste-like consistency.
3
Puff Pastry Handling
Keep the puff pastry cold to avoid softness. Chill if it becomes too soft, and score the top lightly without cutting through.
Notes
1
Place the diced chicken into a large bowl. Add the baking soda and 5 tbsp water and mix well until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Put the chicken into a colander and rinse very well with tap water to clean off the baking soda; pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set aside (this step can be done the day before: just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use).
2
Heat the sesame oil in a wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, scallions, Fresno chiles and ginger slices. Sauté for about 15-20 seconds or until ginger & garlic are lightly browned.
3
Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the soy sauces, rice wine, sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes to allow the sauce to blend into the chicken.
4
Stir in basil leaves & cook for about 10 seconds or until just wilted. Turn off heat, pour chicken onto a serving platter and garnish with the fresh red chilies, if desired. Serve with steamed white rice.
Instructions
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat & cut into 1 1/2" dice
1 tbsp baking soda
5 tbsp water
8 cloves garlic smashed & peeled
4 scallions cut into 2" sections
1-2 Fresno chilies seeded & thinly sliced (according to taste)
4 slices ginger
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaohsing wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups fresh Taiwan or Thai basil leaves
Extra sliced Fresno chilies for garnish
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Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
Prep Time
20 min
Cooking Time
20 min
Rest Time
0 min
Total Time
40 min
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