Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

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Having a friend from Portland (which, as far as I can tell, automatically means a Portland cheerleader) means being exposed to that which is lacking in DC. When I asked my friend her stance on wings (which, to my mind, means unadorned fried chicken wings in hot sauce), she replied with, "Well, I love Ike's wings from Portland ..."

It didn't take long to find a recipe for Ike's wings, and I have to admit that they sounded immediately intriguing. Living in the DC Metro Area has given me ample access to Korean and Vietnamese cuisine (do not get me started on my Pho addicition), and in general I would say that almost everything is made better by fish sauce. Unfortunately, it took me a long trek to Whole Foods to find some fish sauce, as the Soviet Safeway did not carry any of it, nor sesame seeds (though they carry ample amounts of oyster sauce ... wtf SS?). But minus an extra 15 minute walk and shop, this recipe was perfect for a weekday meal to try to impress a Portlander.




I am adding to the recipe, a suggestion from my Portland friend - a finish with just a bit of lime juice would really have made this taste authentically Ike's. Still, and this coming from someone who would universally argue that there should be no breading on wings, these suckers were tasty! A bit sour, a bit sweet in a sticky sauce, and crispy even the next day!

Note that the recipe calls for a minimum of 3 hours for marinating the wings. I opted for marinating overnight, and also made my sides the night before to give the flavors ample time to marry. For sides, I served a cold spinach in toasted sesame seeds and a red pepper flakes and rice wine pickled cucumber salad. Happy to provide the recipes to anyone interested, but they fell into the "generic Asian sides" category - delicious, but nothing special.





This post again reiterates the need for a deep fryer in every household!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves; 2 crushed, 2 minced
  • 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joints (or just buy the "drumettes")
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 Tbs chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tbs chopped mint
  • juice of half a lime



To Prepare:
  1. In a large measuring cup, mix together the fish sauce, sugar, and crushed garlic.
  2. Rinse and pat dry the wings with paper towels. Add the wings to a large bowl, and then pour the mixed sauce over the top.

  3. Cover the wings and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. I kept mine marinating overnight.
  4. The next evening, when you are ready to cook, heat two Tbs of vegetable oil in a small skillet. Add the remaining garlic, and cook until crispy and brown. Remove to drain on paper towels.

  5. Set your deep fryer to 350, or add approximately 2 inches of oil to the bottom of a cast iron pot and bring to 350 degrees.
  6. Remove the wings from the marinade, patting dry with paper towels.
  7. Pour the cornstarch into a large, shallow bowl. Add the wings and turn to coat.

  8. Place half the wings in the oil, cooking until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Once finished, drain on paper towels. Repeat for the second batch.
  9. While the wings are cooking in batches: In the saucepan you used earlier for the garlic, simmer the marinade for 5-10 minutes. You are looking for a very syrupy consistency - use the back of a spoon to check for the viscosity of the sauce.
  10. Place the wings on a platter or shallow bowl. Pour the sauce over the wings. Top the wings with the fried garlic, mint, cilantro, and lime juice.



Bon appetit!



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