Cooking Lesson #434: Vietnamese Caramel Chicken Wings

Also A Good Recipe For Fried Caramelized Shrimp and Chicken Dishes

How you doin’? If you love chicken wings of any kind this is a recipe you’re going to want to try. These Vietnamese style savory caramel sauce wings weaves a perfect blend of salty, sweet, sour and spicy by making a caramel and instead of adding cream or water it uses salty fish sauce and sour lime juice and zest. If you want it spicier add some chilies or chili sauce along with some garlic for additional flavor.
 
My Vietnam Caramel Chicken Wings are made on the stovetop so don’t expect the wings to have crispy skin like Buffalo Wings or other wing recipes. But the caramel in the glaze adds a smoky depth and cuts the sweetness in a complex way. Don’t be scared of making these, as the lime juice that you add in the beginning of the glaze helps keep the caramel from crystallizing.
 
As the wings are dunked into a thick caramel sauce, you’ll find that they are a little sticky and messy but hey, they wouldn’t be chicken wings without a little mess! These Vietnamese style spicy caramel chicken wings will make an excellent addition to my lineup of snacks any occasion.
 
The cooking of Vietnam is done with minimal use of oil and dairy and relies more on the light, fresh flavors of herbs and vegetables. As a result, Vietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.
 
Prep time:  25 minutes
Fry time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 Servings
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup Asian fish sauce
1-1/2 cups sugar (coconut sugar is more authentic, if you can find it)
1/4 cup Thai crab or shrimp paste with bean oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon water
Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying; about 10 cups)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup vodka
1-3/4 cups water
2 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, flats and drumettes separated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped salted, roasted peanuts
Garnish: Fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems and lime wedges (for serving)
 
Directions 

1. Bring the fish sauce to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced almost by half (it will darken and become pungent), about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the sugar and fit the saucepan with a thermometer. Cook until thermometer registers 230° (mixture will become thick and dark).
3. Whisk in the crab (or shrimp) paste, lime juice, zest and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth.
4. Reduce the heat to low; keep warm until ready to dip wings.
5. Fit a large pot with clean thermometer and pour in the oil to measure 2”. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350° F.
6. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and 1 cup cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add vodka and 1-3/4 cups water, adding more water if batter is too thick (it should be slightly thinner than cream but thicker than milk).
7. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of cornstarch in a shallow dish.
8. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in cornstarch, shaking off excess.
9. Working in 3 batches and returning the oil to 350° between batches, coat the chicken in the batter, letting the excess drip back into bowl and fry until the skin is golden and chicken is crisp and cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
10. Transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set on a baking sheet to drain.
11. Using tongs, dip hot wings into the warm caramel, turn to coat, then transfer wings to a platter.
12. Serve wings topped with chopped peanuts, cilantro and 2 wedges of lime on the side.

ChefSecret: Caramel sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Keep airtight at room temperature. Reheat sauce before using.

Quip of the Day: “The Italians and Spanish, the Chinese and Vietnamese see food as part of a larger, more essential and pleasurable part of daily life. Not as an experience to be collected or bragged about or as a ritual like filling up a car, but as something else that gives pleasure, like sex or music, or a good nap in the afternoon.”                                    …Anthony Bourdain
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