Here’s an easy recipe that you can do for Father’s Day this Sunday. Simmered in a sweet-salty Oriental sauce, these chicken wings have a robust flavor that can satisfy the most ravenous appetites.
Not only is this dish lip-smacking good, it’s versatile, too. It can be served as a viand with rice, as well as an appetizer and a snack to go with drinks (beer, wine or even fruit punch).
You can also serve the wings immediately after cooking them in the sauce (the sauce goes well with rice), or you can grill the wings and thicken the sauce with the addition of a few other ingredients. (See directions below). Used as a dip, the thickened sauce enhances the flavor of the wings.
Chicken wings are available in wet markets and in supermarkets that have chicken stations. Ask the vendor to already remove the wing tips for you and divide the wings at the joints. This will save you lots of preparation time. But if you have to do this yourself at home, be sure to use a sharp cleaver to make the task easier.
Chicken Wing in Garlic Soy Sauce
- 1½-2 k chicken wings
- ½ c sugar
- 1½ c soy sauce
- 2 c water
- 1 tbsp liquid seasoning
- 1 head garlic, pounded
- ½ c chopped spring onions
Remove the tips of the chicken wings and discard them. Divide the chicken wings at the joints. Each wing should yield two pieces. Wash the wings well and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large casserole, combine sugar, soy sauce, water and liquid seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer until sugar dissolves completely. Add the garlic and the prepared chicken wings. Stir to cover chicken pieces completely with the liquid.
Let simmer until the chicken wings are fully cooked, around 15 minutes. Stir in the spring onions and heat an additional one to two minutes. At this point, you can already serve the dish as is. Serve as an appetizer or transfer the wings and sauce to a serving dish and serve it with rice. Makes three to four servings.
However, if you want to grill the wings and serve it with a thickened sauce, follow these directions:
After the wings are cooked, remove them from the casserole. To the sauce in the casserole, add:
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed calamansi juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in ¼ cup water
Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
Brush a griller with cooking oil and heat the griller to medium. Grill the wings about three minutes on each side. Transfer the wings to a serving platter. Serve with the thickened sauce as a dip.
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Cook’s tips
If desired, spice up the dish by adding some chopped chilies to the sauce while it’s simmering.
Be sure to have plenty of beverages on hand. The sweet-salty flavor of the sauce induces thirst.
To take this to a picnic: The night before, cook the chicken wings in the sauce and thicken the sauce, following directions above. Store in tightly covered containers in the refrigerator. Before leaving for the picnic, pack the wings and the sauce in spill-proof containers. Grill the wings over hot charcoal on the picnic site. Serve with the sauce.
