Okay, this isn't the prettiest picture, but this was genuinely delicious and I wanted to share it before I made it again (and had the presence of mind to take nicer pictures).
I love three cup chicken, but a lot of the recipes involve tons of oil or cutting the chicken across the bone into irregular pieces. This recipe from the Omnivore's Cookbook did a great job of making use of readily available chicken wings and a flavorful braise without too much oil. My husband gave it two thumbs up.
Three Cup Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 3-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
- 16 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
- 6 dried chili peppers
- 1/3 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1 bunch Thai basil, stems removed
- In a 12-inch heavy bottomed wide skillet, heat the sesame oil over low heat and add the ginger, slowly frying until it begins to brown and curl up, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and dried chilis, cooking until the garlic turns golden, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-low. Move the aromatics to the side of the pan and add the chicken in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until chicken is lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 5-7 minutes on other side. If the aromatics start to burn, you can remove them from the pan.
- Add the Shaoxing wine and use a spatula to get any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add any aromatics you removed previously.
- Add the soy sauce and sugar and stir to coat all the chicken pieces. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Simmer covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lid and cook uncovered for a few more minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Transfer to a serving plate and eat with rice.
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