Author Notes: This recipe is inspired by the popular Korean chicken wing craze from chains such as Kyo-Chan and Bon Chan. It’s very lightly breaded in a light flour, double-fried for a crispy skin, and glazed with a spicy ginger soy sauce. The double frying renders out the fat and makes the skin deliciously crispy. Try this at during football season and your guests will beg for more! —ravenouscouple
Food52 Review: Honeyed and fragrant with a fiery kick, ravenouscouple’s chicken wings encapsulate the word “addictive.” The ingenious combination of coating the wings in Wondra and then double-frying them renders the fat and then crisps the skin to the point that it essentially becomes a shell encasing the succulent meat. We’re pleasantly reminded of the best version of General Tso’s chicken we’ve ever had—only better. Fry up a mess of these for your friends, and they’ll love you forever. – A&M —The Editors
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the chicken and batter:
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2 1/2
pounds chicken wings (tips clipped off and discarded, and wings cut at the joints, washed and pat dry)
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1
cup Wondra flour
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1
teaspoon salt
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1
teaspoon pepper
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Neutral oil, as needed for frying
For the spicy ginger-soy glaze:
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1
cup water
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1
cup thin-sliced ginger, peeled
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3
tablespoons soy sauce
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1/2
cup brown sugar
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1/4
cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
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2
tablespoons honey or corn syrup
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1 to 2
tablespoons chile flakes or Korean fermented chile
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1 to 2
tablespoons toasted sesame, to serve (optional)
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, combine Wondra flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the prepared and rinsed chicken wings in the flour mixture to get a fine light coat.
- Heat some cooking oil in a deep fryer or a deep frying pan to about 350° F. Fry chicken wings, in batches if necessary, about 5 min each until cooked through. Remove, and shake any excess flour off and allow to cool.
- In a small saucepan, add the water, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar and bring to boil. Then add the honeyand chile and reduce by half until it has a thick maple syrup-like consistency and set aside.
- Re-fry the wings until crispy golden-brown, about another 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on frying rack or paper towels. Dredge or brush on the spicy soy ginger glaze. Top with sesame seeds to serve, if desired.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin
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Just a few ingredients go a long way: soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, Wondra, chili (we used paste) and brown sugar. (We left out the rice vinegar — whoops!)
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These wings are double-fried, so you'll need plenty of oil and a deep pot.
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Wondra, salt and pepper for dredging.
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We carefully rinsed and patted dry the wings before getting to work.
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Amanda "topped and tailed" them, getting rid of the wing tips and separating the rest at the joint into two pieces.
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Wondra is wondraful!A light coating makes for a supremely crisp skin.
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Try to keep the oil temperature around 350 degrees as you fry — this may mean adjusting the flame up or down.
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And avoid the temptation to overcrowd! 6 to 8 pieces in a pot this size is about right.
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After Fry #1.
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Meanwhile, Amanda slices a whole lot of ginger paper thin for the glaze.
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Ginger and brown sugar: always a good start.
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A little soy sauce, some water and a little rice vinegar go in next, and then you bring it all to a boil.
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Honey and chili (we preferred 2 tablespoons to 1), and then simmer away until you have a rich, syrupy glaze.
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Fry #2.
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You can dunk if you like, but we chose to brush the wings with the glaze. (We dare you to resist tasting one before you've finished glazing!)
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Little eyes (and noses) perk up.
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A smattering of toasted sesame seeds is optional, but highly recommended.
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