Three-Cup Chicken (三杯鸡)

中文简介

三杯鸡是台湾最受欢迎的家常名菜，几乎所有台菜餐厅的招牌。名字来自配方："一杯米酒、一杯酱油、一杯麻油"——三杯调料，不加水，慢火收汁。做法：鸡块（常见鸡腿肉）先用麻油爆香姜片和蒜瓣，加米酒、酱油糖烧开，小火焖煮至汤汁浓稠、紧紧裹住鸡块，最后撒入大把九层塔（台湾对泰国罗勒/金不换的称呼）翻匀，香气瞬间爆发。出锅时锅底滋啦作响，九层塔的独特香气与麻油醇香融为一体。配上一碗白饭，就是台湾人心里"家的味道"。台北的欣叶台菜、各种夜市小店都能吃到地道版本。

English

Three-cup chicken (三杯鸡, sānbēi jī) is Taiwan's most beloved home-style classic — the dish on every Taiwanese restaurant menu, from night-market stalls to upscale kitchens in Taipei. The name is the entire recipe: one cup each of rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil — no water — braised down until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the meat like lacquer. Chicken (leg meat is best) is first seared in sesame oil with ginger slices and garlic, then braised in the three cups until tender and glazed, and finished with a storm of jiǔcéngtǎ — the Taiwanese name for Thai basil — tossed in at the last second until its perfume erupts. The clay pot arrives still sizzling; one bite and you understand why it never leaves the menu.

Where to eat: Any serious Taiwanese home-style restaurant in Taipei — Shin Yeh (欣叶) is the polished classic; night-market versions are more rustic but equally good. ¥68–128 ($10–18) per pot.

Pro tips: The basil is the transformation point — it must be added at the very end to keep its fragrance. Mop up the sauce with rice; it's the best part. Pair with 台式泡菜 (Taiwanese pickles) for the classic combo.