This easy chicken recipe is popular in the Jiangxi province of southern China as well as in Taiwan. It's called Three-Cup Chicken (or Sanbeiji) because it contains 3 key ingredients to Chinese cuisine: soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. The chicken - together with the sauces as well as garlic, ginger and basil - is simmered in an earthenware pot until the sauce has reduced by about 90%. When placed on the table the dish should be sizzling and popping - to the point of almost burning. Now that's caramelization! Try this recipe from The Little TeoChew.
Three-Cup Chicken
Note: 1 rice bowl = 1 scant cup
1 fresh chicken (chopped into identical-sized parts)
1 rice bowl black sesame oil (see note above)
1 rice bowl soy sauce
1 rice bowl Hua Tiao Chinese rice wine (or Cognac)
1 bulb garlic, separated into individual cloves, skins on
3 slices old ginger
1 tablespoon thumb size rock sugar (or 2 fine sugar - a little more or less won't hurt)
3 inches large bunches of spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
2-3 leaves of basil, julienned
Click here for the instructions and a printable version.
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