Three Cup Chicken
Chicken leg quarters cut into small pieces are braised in the sauce until tender. Whole garlic cloves and slices of ginger are added. The sauce is then reduced until thick enough to glaze the chicken and then transferred to a claypot and topped with fresh Thai basil leaves.
Ingredients
- 5 pcs chicken leg quarters chopped to smaller pieces
- 2 stalks onion leeks
- ½ pc. red onion sliced
- 20 pcs. sliced ginger
- 2 heads garlic peeled
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rock sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 tbsp rice wine +2 tbsp rice wine
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce for color
- 4 pcs dried chillies optional
- 2 tbsp black sesame oil +1 tbsp black sesame oil
- 150 grams fresh Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Prepare a wok and add around sesame oil, cooking oil followed by the red onions. Turn on the heat and set to low. Saute the onions until slightly toasted. Pour oil into a bowl using a sieve. Set aside the toasted red onions.
- Add the oil back into the wok and set heat to medium, then add the sliced ginger and saute until slightly toasted.
- Add the chicken and cook in high heat for several minutes until chicken is browned.
- Add the garlic cloves, 1 tbsp rock sugar and 3 tbsp rice wine. Stir and then add 2 tbsp light soy sauce and continue stirring until soy sauce releases it's aroma. Pour enough water until half of chicken is submerged. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce sauce to 30% with occasional stirring.
- Open cover and add stem/stalk of leeks. Add dried chillies, 2 tbsp black sesame oil and 1 tsp dark soy sauce for a darker color. Taste and add more light soy sauce or rock sugar if needed. Stir and then continue to reduce the sauce further.
- Meanwhile, prepare a claypot. Add 1 tbsp black sesame oil and set heat to medium, then add half of the basil leaves and remaining leaves of the leeks. Transfer the chicken to the claypot and add the toasted red onions that were set aside earlier. Top with the remaining basil leaves. Cover the claypot. Use a spoon to pour 2 tbsp rice wine around the lid. Serve immediately.