Low effort, big taste

 I've been craving Chinese food. But not enough to order a takeaway (which I never do). I was going to do it for my fairly upcoming birthday, but that's been superseded by a greedy look at Cote at Home and its creme caramel, which I miss like fire. But still, that tang of umami-sweet-sour has been on my mind. Yet not enough to launch into a complicated, wok-based, high-stress burst of cooking. I'm not good at Chinese flavours and I've had things go badly wrong in the past.

And here's a solution. It's from New Kitchen Basics and it's really very simple. And crammed with garlic. You can imagine my delight. 

Three Cup Chicken

Start with aromatics: plenty of sesame oil, 12 cloves of garlic (peeled but whole), 3 fat slices of ginger, a roughly chopped onion. Fry together for a minute in a solid pan with a lid. 

 

Then add chicken thigh pieces, chopped. Brown very lightly (about a minute each side) and fish them out of the pan for now. Honestly, I'm not sure you gain anything by hooshing them out for a minute but I hadn't actually cut mine up so it was very easy.

Then add your liquids: 80ml each of mirin and light soy (for 8 thighs, I used a bit less but don't skimp, this is your flavour joy; with the sesame oil they are the 'three cups' of the title, albeit cut down from feeding a whole village). Plus a little bit of sugar. Boil up. Simmer down. Add the chicken. Lid on, low heat for 25 mins. 

Stir in basil at the end - Thai basil if you can, which unusually I could. 

For the conoisseurs, this is a particular Waitrose classic. If only I'd grilled it.

It's genuinely delicious and remarkably unfaffy. I commend it to you for a fairly cupboardy, winter-appropriate, simple and tasty option. If you can't get mirin, dry sherry or dry white wine is okay. Otherwise it should be fairly doable.

You definitely want rice with it, as the juices are the best bit. Something green as well. Simple as.