Email to Cat      

Thai: Crispy Chicken Wings

Source of Recipe

From "The Pepper Thai Cookbook" by Pepper Teigen


Recipe Introduction

"Crispy, juicy wings seasoned with pepper and fish sauce are the king of party snacks in our house. Miles and Luna always ask for seconds. John craves them when he's watching football. Chrissy burns her fingers because she can't wait long enough for them to cool. I give a couple wings to our security guard because he has to put up with all the aromas wafting from the kitchen window. I love them because they're so quick and simple�more time for partying�and a sneaky way to convert fish sauce haters (yes, they exist). If you don't have sweet chili sauce for dipping, sweet and sour sauce works."

List of Ingredients

◦ 3 pounds chicken wings, patted dry
◦ � cup plus 3 tablespoons fish sauce
◦ � tablespoon garlic powder
◦ � tablespoon ground white pepper
◦ � teaspoon kosher salt
◦ Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
◦ � cup all-purpose flour
◦ 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca flour
◦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
◦ Thai sweet chili sauce or Spicy Garlic-Lime Fish Sauce (recipe follows), for dipping


Recipe

Put the chicken wings in a large bowl. Add the fish sauce, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt and toss to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, fill a wok, large heavy pot, or deep skillet with at least 2 inches of oil, making sure to leave a few inches of clearance from the rim. Heat the oil over medium heat to 370� F (use a deep-fry thermometer or test the oil by throwing in a little piece of bread or a grain of rice; if it sizzles immediately but doesn't burn, you're ready). Set a wire rack in a sheet pan or line a plate with paper towels and have it nearby.

While the oil is heating, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Sprinkle the mixture over the wings and toss until a paste forms, making sure all the wings are evenly coated.

When the oil is hot, add 4 or 5 wings to the pan and fry until they're a deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. The color of the crust will tell you when they're cooked, so keep an eye on the wings and adjust the heat as needed as you're frying.

Drain the wings on the wire rack or paper towels and fry the next batch. Serve warm with sweet chili sauce.

Serves 4 to 6






❧ Spicy Garlic-Lime Fish Sauce:

"This is another version of my green pepper hot sauce made famous in Chrissy's first book, Cravings. It's a little heavier on the lime juice and fish sauce, but still balanced. I use it as an all-purpose seasoning kept on the table to adjust any food to my taste�sort of like Pepper's salt and pepper."

◦ � cup fish sauce
◦ � cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
◦ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
◦ 12 fresh bird's eye chiles or 4 serrano chiles, thinly sliced or finely chopped
◦ 4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons water, the brown sugar, chiles, and garlic until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a glass jar or other airtight container. For the best flavor, refrigerate for 2 hours before using. The fish sauce will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Makes 1 � cups