One thing that I really enjoy, is going to cooking classes at Kitchen Art. Over the years, I have attended numerous classes and actually make a lot of the recipes that I come home with. In October, I went to the Pacific Rim Infusion themed class taught by Chef Christopher Lee and let me just say, YUM! Below is a slightly modified recipe for chicken wings that pairs well with a rice noodle stir fry.
Ingredients
~2 lbs of chicken wings
~2" nob of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
~1 c of oil for frying
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 bunch of scallions, washed and thinly sliced
~1 cup of real maple syrup*
~3/4 c brown sugar*
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
1. Wash and clean the chicken wings. If using Becker Farms chicken wings, I have found that I like to 'tuck' the wings, making a triangle-like shape, which allows for more evening cooking; otherwise, the tips stick up out of the oil. It is not hard to do--simply fold the tip over the opposite end--it should stay in place. Then, place the wings in a pot of boiling water for ~3 minutes.
2. While the wings are par-boiling, add the oil to a large skillet (I use an electric skillet, as I often double the recipe and do not have a large enough skillet to use on my stove top). Once hot, add the ginger slices, garlic, and scallions.
3. Add the chicken wings and continue cooking for ~10 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Drain any extra oil.
4. Combine the soy sauce, syrup, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes and pour this mixture over the chicken wings. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid becomes a glaze over the wings (this will take around 30-35 minutes or so). Enjoy!
*Note: the original recipe called for Coke instead of the syrup and brown sugar; since I do not often have Coke on hand, I found that the syrup and brown sugar mixture makes a great substitute.