“I absolutely love wings that are glossy, glazed and packed with zing,” says Stephanie Feher. “Normally, I’d encourage you to deep-fry for the ultimate crunch, but this oven method guarantees crispy results with half the hassle. Cornflour (cornstarch) and baking powder are your MVPs here, but the ultimate trick is dry brining the wings – seasoning and refrigerating them uncovered for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The sauce is wildly addictive, coming in hot, arms swinging like it has something to prove. I love serving it with a steaming bowl of white rice. Heaven.”
Make ahead:
- Dry brine wings for at least 4 hours (overnight recommended).
On the day:
- Roast wings and make sauce.
- Toss wings in sauce just before serving.
Prepare the wings:
(Serves four)
Ingredients
- 1kg (2 lb 4 oz) free-range chicken wings, drums and flats separated
- 3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock (bouillon) powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Method
- Line a rimmed baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Pat dry the wings with paper towel.
- In a large bowl, toss the wings with the remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
- Shake off any excess to avoid a grainy texture.
- Arrange the wings on the prepared wire rack, leaving space between each one.
- For maximum crispiness, refrigerate the wings, uncovered, for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Roast the Wings:
Ingredients
- Neutral oil, for greasing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced.
- Position the rack (still on the tray) in the upper-middle part of the oven.
- Lightly spray or brush the wings with oil.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then flip and continue roasting until golden and crispy, about 15–30 minutes more, flipping occasionally for even browning.
- For an extra-crispy finish, switch to the grill (broiler) setting for the last 2–5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Make the sauce:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons soft brown sugar
- 4 French shallots, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Method
- While the wings are roasting, heat the oil and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the shallot and garlic. Fry until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in the fish sauce and ¼ cup (60 ml) water, then reduce the heat to low.
- Let it simmer for 5–10 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- If the sauce is still runny, continue simmering until thickened, but be careful not to over-reduce.
To Serve:
Ingredients
- 1 spring onion (scallion), thinly sliced
Method
- Toss the wings in the caramelised fish sauce until well coated.
- Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with spring onion and serve immediately.
Lucky Dragon Supper Club by Stephanie Feher (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99) is out now and yours to purchase from the likes of such Victorian booksellers as Readings, Books for Cooks and Hill of Content.