Taiwanese three-cup style cod, simmered in equal parts soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil with basil, served over steamed rice.
San bei, three-cup cooking, is a hallmark Taiwanese technique traditionally used for chicken, named for the equal parts soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil the dish is built on. This version applies the same technique to firm white fish, simmering cod in that same trio of sauces with ginger, garlic and a heavy handful of Thai basil stirred in at the very end, which wilts into the sauce and perfumes the whole dish. The technique that defines three-cup cooking is reducing the sauce hard and fast so it clings to the protein in a thick, glossy glaze rather than pooling as a thin liquid. With fish, this means the cod needs to go in last, after the sauce has already reduced somewhat, since it cooks through in just a few minutes and turns rubbery if simmered too long. While three-cup chicken is the more iconic version of this dish, the same sauce works beautifully with firm fish, and the basil-forward finish is unmistakably Taiwanese no matter the protein. Serve it spooned generously over hot steamed rice so the glossy sauce soaks in.
Serves 4
Heat sesame oil in a wide skillet or clay pot over medium heat. Add ginger slices and fry 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly crisp at the edges. Add garlic and chiles if using, frying 1 more minute.
Add soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavors combine and start to reduce.
Slide the cod pieces into the sauce in a single layer. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes, spooning sauce over the fish occasionally, until just cooked through.
Resist stirring the fish roughly — cod breaks apart easily, so tilt the pan and spoon sauce over it instead.
Once the fish is cooked, spoon it out temporarily and simmer the sauce alone for 2 minutes if it's still thin, until glossy and slightly thickened.
Return the fish to the pan, add the Thai basil leaves, and toss gently for 30 seconds until just wilted.
Spoon the cod and glossy sauce generously over hot steamed rice.
Use a firm white fish like cod, halibut or monkfish — flakier, delicate fish falls apart in the simmering sauce.
Add the basil at the very end, off or nearly off the heat, so it stays bright and fragrant instead of turning dark and bitter.
If you have a small clay pot, use it — the traditional san bei dish is often finished and served in the pot it was cooked in, which keeps the sauce sizzling at the table.
Classic three-cup chicken: use the same sauce and technique with bone-in chicken thighs, browned first and simmered 20 minutes.
Tofu version: use firm tofu cubes, pan-fried until golden before simmering, for a vegetarian take.
Extra heat: increase the dried chiles or add a spoonful of chili bean paste to the sauce.
The sauce and fish keep together in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the fish texture softens on reheating. Warm gently in a covered pan over low heat rather than the microwave.
Three-cup cooking, most famously applied to chicken, is a well-documented Taiwanese technique named for its equal-parts soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil base, believed to have roots in Hakka cooking traditions on the island.
Any firm white fish works — halibut, monkfish or even swordfish hold up well to the simmering sauce, while flakier fish like tilapia may break apart more easily.
This usually happens when the sauce reduces too much before the fish goes in. Taste it before adding the cod, and thin with a splash of water if it's already very concentrated.
Regular sweet basil works, though it's milder and slightly sweeter than Thai basil's more peppery, anise-like flavor; add a touch more toward the end if using regular basil.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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