I have yet to find good Chinese food on the Cape, yet alone a restaurant run by people originally from Taiwan (which is where this particular dish originally came from) and was craving three-cup chicken so much that I decided to make my own.
I have taken some liberties with the dish, first because I needed to adapt the dish to serve one person, and secondly because I did not have all of the ingredients. Still, since I have eaten many versions of this, I have a feeling that the original chef might not mind...
I ate this over rice, with spinach that I had wilted in the pan and topped with some grated daikon (because this is leftover week and I had some left, not for any great culinary reasons.)
2 chicken thighs, deboned and skin off, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp grated ginger root
1 clove garlic grated
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
1 Tbsp mirin or Shaoxing wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsps toasted sesame oil
Generous pinch of sugar
2 tsps chopped scallion
2 tsps chopped basil
Heat the oil in a large skillet along with the ginger, garlic, chili flakes and scallions. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about thirty seconds.
Add the chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides before lowering the heat and adding the wine, soy sauce, sugar, and a tablespoon of water. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, stirring so that the sauce does not burn, about five minutes.
When the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thick and glossy, add the sesame oil and the chopped basil and stir to combine.
Serve over rice.
Inspiration recipe, here.