Three Cup Chicken

Chicken thigh pieces braised down with a cup each of soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil, finished with a heap of fresh basil.

San bei ji takes its name from the traditional ratio of one cup each of soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil used to braise the chicken, a technique said to date back to the Song dynasty and later adapted in Jiangxi cooking before becoming firmly rooted in Taiwanese home cooking. It is traditionally cooked in a clay pot, which retains heat and lets the sauce reduce down to a thick, dark glaze that coats every piece of chicken. Fresh Thai basil stirred in at the very end became the dish's signature Taiwanese addition, giving it a distinct aroma not found in earlier mainland versions.

A clay pot (though a heavy-based pan works too) is traditional for even heat retention. The sauce should reduce to a thick, dark, almost sticky glaze — not remain thin and soupy. Fresh basil is added at the very end and only briefly wilted, never cooked through.