Three cups chicken (三杯鸡)

Three cups chicken (sanbei ji) - the name of the dish comes straight from the ingredients - one cup each of wine, soya sauce and sesame oil.

This is a warming dish, and best eaten in cooling weather. It is also a popular dish for confinement for new mothers. The wine and sesame warm the blood, and the gingers will expel "wind" in the body.

Ingredients (serves 4 or more):
1 chicken, chopped into bite size pieces (skin the chicken to cut back the oiliness)
1 cup or 6 soup spoons Chinese wine (shaoxing)
1 cup or 6 soup spoons soya sauce
1 small cup or 3 soup spoons sesame oil
10 slices of old ginger
10 slices of young ginger
Chopped spring onions, to garnish

Method:
1. Heat up sesame oil in a wok. When haze rises, drop the old ginger slices in the oil and slowly fry till ginger turns a dark golden brown. Remove from heat and discard ginger.
2. Place pan on fire again, and heat to smoking, adding the chicken pieces. Sear chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the young ginger slices, followed by the soya sauce. Turn down heat to simmer 5 minutes.
3. Turn heat up again and when the sauce is bubbling, add the Chinese wine.
4. Cook until chicken is done and sauce has reduced.
5. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with hot rice.

Tips:
When adding the Chinese wine, do not drizzle directly on the cooking chicken. Instead, slowly pour the wine on to the sides of the pan, allowing the heated metal to evaporate the alcohol content. This way, only the fragrance of the wine is retained.

Recipe source: Today newspaper