~Open-Sesame Asian Wings w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce~

I'm cravin' Asian today, and, what I've got in the meat drawer of my refrigerator is four Delmonico steaks and a six-pound package of chicken wings (both of which Joe "picked up" in preparation for the snowstorm-du-jour two days ago).  Today, freezing rain is keeping us two lovebirds safe in our nest, and, as long as we don't lose power due to the ice, I'm making Asian chicken wings for dinner tonight.  I'll make Joe the steaks with his favorite blue-cheese salad tomorrow!

Blogging is reality -- I always make the best of what I've got!

In the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator and pantry I've got everything I need to make one of my favorite Asian condiments (which doubles as wing sauce whenever I make these).  You can find my recipe for ~ Asian Honey-Sesame Garlic-Ginger Dipping Sauce ~ in Categories 8 & 13, or by Clicking on the Related Article link below.  I cook Asian food often, so I am rarely caught without ginger and scallions.  Garlic -- does anyone ever not have garlic on hand?  In the pantry:  honey, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame seeds are all present and accounted for! 

Another easy, weeknight recipe I use this sweet, savory and bold condiment for is ~ Open-Sesame Flank Steak w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce ~.  You can find it in Categories 3 & 13, or, by clicking on the Related Article link below too.

With the aid of a food processor, from start to finish, this sauce will be prepped in less than 5 minutes, and, after 20 minutes of simmering, ready to toss with your wings!

Chicken wings for dinner?  Ok, they're not on anybody's diet, but, here in my Happy Valley household, we only indulge in them 4-5 times a year.  If you think about it, it's really not much different than the percentage of the populace that decides to eat "breakfast for dinner" during a snow or ice storm:  they get out the pancake and waffle mix, maple syrup and bacon or sausage links.  It's family-friendly fun!

Part One:  Prepping the Chicken Wings

Using a pair of poultry shears, cut:

6  pounds chicken wings

at their two joints, into 3 sections:  the drumette, the flat wing, and the "skinny" wing tip.  Using paper towels, pat the pieces dry.  Some folks like to fry and eat the wings tips too, I do not.  Without the wing tips, this recipe will yield about 40 appetizers.

Note:  The flavorful wing tips can must be frozen and used to make chicken stock at a later date!

In a small bowl, whisk together:

5  ounces tempura batter mix (1/2 of a 10-ounce box)

2  tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder

Preheat to 360 degrees:

corn or peanut oil

in a deep-fryer according to manufacturer's specifications.  Line a disposible pan or 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with several layers of paper towels.  Have a grinder of sea salt on hand for salting wings as they come out of fryer.

Part Two:  Deep-Frying the Chicken Wings

Once the deep-fryer is preheated, one at time, lightly dredge each wing in the tempura mixture and drop it into the fryer basket. Working as quickly as possible, dredge and drop 5 more into the basket.  Close the lid on the fryer and cook for 13 minutes.

Repeat the process of deep-frying 6-8 chicken wings at a time for 13 minutes per batch until they are all fried.  Don't overcrowd fryer-basket.

As each batch comes out of the fryer, dump them into the paper-towel lined baking pan and IMMEDIATELY give them a light coating of freshly ground sea salt.

Transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss them with a light coating of warm sauce, about 1 1/2-2 cups, of the garlic-ginger sauce.  Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds and toss again.  Garnish with very thinly sliced green scallion tops.  Serve immediately with additional garlic-ginger sauce, for dipping or drizzling, to the side.

Note:  When it's just Joe and I, I toss the wings a dozen at a time.  The wings we don't eat, if left uncovered, stay quite crispy and can be reheated in the oven and tossed with reheated sauce the next day!

Chicken wing etiquette!  

Wings are user-friendly, requiring no knives or forks.  All you need are your fingertips and a large stack of napkins to delight in this very casual dining experience.  Pick them up with your fingers and proceed to nibble, gnaw and chew until all of the meat and sauce have been savored.  It's also acceptable to ignore the napkins completely and lick your lips and fingertips. This is one time the terms "lip-smackin' " and "finger-lickin' " apply in every sense! 

Open-Sesame Asian Wings w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce:  Recipe yields about 4 dozen chicken wings or 4 dozen appetizers/snacks, and, 3 1/2 cups garlic-ginger sauce (Note:  Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely and I almost always have some on hand for an Asian cravin'.).

Special Equipment List:  poultry shears; paper towels; deep-fryer (or 6-8-quart stockpot); 13" x 9" x 2" disposable pan or baking dish; large spoon

Cook's Note:  Deep-frying not your "cup of tea"?  Try my ~ Seriously E-Z & Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken Wings ~.  Purists say there is no substitution for deep-fried wings, and, I used to think that too, until I came up with these.  The recipe is in Categories 1, 2, 17 & 20!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2014) 

Related articles

~Asian Honey-Sesame Garlic-Ginger Dipping Sauce~

~Open-Sesame Flank Steak w/Garlic-Ginger Sauce~

~ Mel's Crispy, Deep-Fried Chinese Lemon Chicken ~