Three Cup Chicken

Happy New Year!  I recently saw this recipe on food t.v. and then on a menu I was perusing at a Taiwanese restaurant.  It is basically a cup of each:  rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil = Three Cup Chicken.  The idea stayed in my mind so I decided to make it though I went with a recipe that wasn't one cup of each... What I used: 

• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 medium scallions
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used low-sodium)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (I used coconut)
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, split
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (I used grapeseed)
• 2 dried Sichuan chili peppers (I could only find Thai peppers)
• 1 medium bunch Thai basil, picked from stems
• Cooked white rice, for serving (I used a whole grain Jasmine blend)

Peel 1 (2-inch) piece ginger. Thinly cut lengthwise into planks. Stack a few planks and thinly cut lengthwise into long matchsticks, then repeat until all the ginger is cut into thin matchsticks. Thinly slice 5 garlic cloves. Trim and cut 4 medium scallions crosswise into 3 pieces each.

Place 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of the toasted sesame oil in a liquid measuring cup and whisk to combine.

Pat 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and toss until evenly coated.  Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil and the chicken in an even layer. Sear until the chicken is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.  I did this in two batches.  Below was the first batch flipped after 4 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil to the same wok (no need to wipe out) and let heat for a few seconds. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, and 2 dried Sichuan or Chinese peppers. 

Stir-fry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss to combine. Arrange the chicken so it is submerged in the sauce.

Simmer, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed, until the sauce is reduced by half and coats the chicken, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pick the leaves from bunch of Thai basil.

Turn off the heat. Scatter the basil leaves over the chicken and toss until the leaves are wilted slightly. 

Serve the chicken and sauce with cooked rice.

As I've never eaten this dish before I think it came out well?  It was very yummy.  Unfortunately no heat came through though.  Thankfully the ginger gave a good zippy tingle while eating it.  I would probably double the Thai basil next time as that flavor was nice with the sauce.  Other than that it was a fine meal.  Next lunch outing will be to try this in a restaurant so I can compare.