This is a "dual dish"; you can leave out either the chicken or the mushrooms. Adapted from this recipe. In the vegetarian version, it is fine to add the mushrooms right before the rice wine and sugar.
- Deboned chicken legs, of 1 chicken, sliced
- King oyster mushrooms, 2 big stems, rolling-cylinder sliced
- Ginger, 6 to 7 slices
- Garlic, 6 to 7 cloves, flattened
- Scallion, one, whites kept, greens chopped
- Chili peppers, several slices
- Dark sesame oil, 1 tbsp
- Rice wine (clear "mijiu"), 1 tbsp
- Soy sauce, 1 tbsp
- Sugar, 1 tsp
- Basil leaves, to taste
- Heat black sesame oil in wok, and fry ginger slices. When they dry up, add garlic, scallion whites, and chili pepper, and continue frying.
- Add chicken and fry. Wait for oil to seep out of chicken, then add rice wine and sugar.
- Add king oyster mushrooms. Continue frying.
- Add soy sauce from edge of wok, and reduce. No need to reduce completely, but some reduction is required to let out the fragrance.
- Add scallion greens and basil, stir and cook for one last minute, then plate.
- The three cups refer to a cup of black sesame oil, a cup of rice wine, and a cup of soy sauce at a 1:1:1 ratio. However, different brands of soy sauce vary in saltiness. Adjust accordingly.
- It's easy to burn black sesame oil. Turn down the flame or mix in some vegetable oil to counter this.
- If you don't like too much heat, remove the seeds from the chili peppers.
- Use clear rice wine, which is called mijiu / michiu. This is distinct from Shaoxing rice wine, which has an amber hue.
- Omitting some combination of chili peppers, scallion, and even basil.
- Mincing the ginger and garlic instead.
- Instead of flattening garlic cloves, slice them into thin slices and add hot water while reducing. This softens the garlic enough to melt in your mouth.