Day 172: Taiwan and Oily Rice and Three Cups Chicken

Good evening, Raffies!

We are going to Taiwan today and we are going to enjoy two different dishes: You Fan and 3 cups chicken.
Taiwan is one of the countries I would love to visit someday soon. I have heard so much about its sights and its cuisine. One special dish I am looking forward to is the "rotten tofu". My Taiwanese friends at school in Japan told me so much about it.

Well, back to today's dinner. We are going for some oily rice, as it is translated and a three cup chicken.

For the You Fan, also known as Oily Rice, I followed this nice recipe:

250 ml water
6 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 whole star anise
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cm ginger, thinly sliced
3 c rice
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (ideally use fresh ones, if you can find them)
1 handful dried shrimps (optional)
200 g fatty pork belly, sliced (For my recipe, I skipped the pork and went for a vegetarian version of You Fan)
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

In a skillet, combine water, dark and light soy sauce, shrimp, star anise and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the rice and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Now remove the ginger, star anise and garlic.
Slice the shiitake mushrooms and add to the rice. Add the oil and cook the rice. Serve with the cilantro and enjoy!

If you use the pork meat, add it at the beginning and boil it with the water and soy sauce mixture. Then remove it and set it aside. Add it again when you add the mushrooms.

For the Three Cup Chicken or San Bei Ji, I followed this recipe:

1/4 c sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
6 cloves of garlic
8 chicken legs
1/2 c rice wine
1/3 c soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 c Thai basil leaves

Heat the oil in a wok until smoking. Add the garlic, chilies and ginger until crunchy. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side.
Now add the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is done.
Add the Thai basil and serve with rice.

Both dishes were fantastic. The rice was amazing. It remotely reminded me of risotto. Simply great.
As for the chicken, the sauce is great and the chicken was juicy and flavourful. I am really looking forward to lunch tomorrow for the leftover rice.

Love,

Raffi