What’s better than a Sunday afternoon in autumn, relaxing watching the game with family and friends? Only one thing: Munching on some chicken wings while watching the game relaxing with family and friends!
The classic Buffalo wing is excellent, if executed correctly. But there are millions of average wings out there, so I wanted to give you a twist on this classic that you can try at home. But first a few tips.
I like to use a wing that is about three to five ounces each. I like to separate the wing from the drumette and save the tips for a stock. Your best bet is to buy them in bulk at a Cosco or BJ’s, since they come in 10-pound bags already cleaned. A tabletop deep fryer is ideal for this recipe.
Oh, and one more important thing: make sure that the wings are dried well before dropping them into the hot oil. This is really important.
Sweet sesame soy wings
Yield three potions
Ingredients
1/2 gallon canola or peanut oil.
4 lbs. chicken wings, drumettes and wings separated
2 cups sugar
4 ounces water
2 cups soy sauce
1-3/4 cups chicken stock
2 tbls. ginger chopped
1 tbls. fresh garlic, chopped
5 pieces star anise
4 bay leaves
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tbls. Asian chili sauce
2 tbls. scallions, sliced thin
2 tbls. white sesame seeds
Rinse the wings under cold water, then dry between two paper towels. This is important unless you want hot oil to splash all over you when you add the wings.
Place the oil in a large pot over medium heat or in a tabletop deep fryer set to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and the water in a large saucepan on high heat and cook until it turns a dark caramel color (not too dark!). Add the soy sauce, which will cause the caramel to bubble up, so be careful. Then add 1-1/2 cups of the chicken stock, anise, garlic, and ginger. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, add the corn starch to the remaining stock and mix until there are no lumps. Add this mixture to the simmering sauce while stirring. Let the sauce cook for about a minute until it comes back up to a simmer. Remove the sauce from the fire and strain through a mesh strainer.
Fry your wings for about five minutes. Mix the sauce, wings, scallion, chili sauce, and sesame seeds in a big bowl. Put them on a plate sit down with a cool beverage and a pile of napkins while the game is on. Go Jets!
