By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
www.globalgourmets.ca michael@globalgourmets.ca
Vietnamese Caramel Spicy Chicken Wings
Oops I knew this would happen sooner or later..Friday came around so quickly this week I forgot all about my “Delish Delish for the Weekend!
Just as I have to quickly rustle up some ideas for you I have chosen a quick, but delicious dish you can serve anytime either as an appetizer or in larger quantities as a main course with rice or even as part of a BBQ buffet table. This one of my favorite bookmarked recipes from South East Asia. Vietnamese are well known for their use of chicken in their dishes and more particularly spicy chicken wings. This is a recipe I garnered from a wonderful food stall operator while in Hoi An in central Vietnam. I was a bit apprehensive as to the ingredients as I am sure she would not give me an accurate account so I have altered the recipe slightly to closely approximate the wings she sold me……Enjoy!
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1″ piece of ginger chopped very fine
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (~1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce (such as sriracha) or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and pat dry
- Garnish with chopped peanuts, green onions and cilantro
Directions
- Simmer the water and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat until it turns a deep amber, about 10 minutes.
- Mix the fish sauce, ginger, lime juice, chili sauce, and garlic and carefully add it to the pan, then heat until the caramel dissolves.
- Marinate the chicken wings in the sauce for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Place the chicken wings on a rack, on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F oven until golden brown and crispy, about 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile place the marinade in a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat to thicken, about 7-10 minutes.
- Toss the wings in the caramel sauce and enjoy. Servings: makes 2-4 servings
