Sticky Chicken Wings II

Ingredients 

Sticky Chicken Wings

2 kg chicken wings (tips cut off)

1 tablespoon oil

4 cloves of garlic crushed

1 small red chili finely chopped or 1 teaspoon of crushed Cayenne pepper (you can adjust according to your desired heat level; I use the Cayenne pepper, which is a little more consistent in flavor than chilies.)

5 tablespoons mirin or mirin substitute (1-2 tablespoons of sugar mixed into a half a cup of white wine – use 5 tablespoons)

5 tablespoons soy sauce

5 tablespoons sake or sherry (Tio Pepe sherry is kosher) or white wine

A few drops of sesame oil

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

How to do it

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Dry baked wings ready for the sauce

2. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper and place the wings evenly on the tray. Roast the wings for 35-40 minutes, until they are golden. Remove the wings and transfer them into a clean tray lined with baking paper. (You can also just pour the fat off and reuse the pan, but I found it easier to just transfer the chicken into a clean pan and let the fat cool for easier disposal – never pour hot oil down the sink as it clogs the drain.)

3. While the wings are cooking, in a saucepan, heat the oil and cook the garlic and chili (if using) until the garlic is just golden (about 1 minutes). Add the Cayenne pepper (if using) mirin, soy sauce, sake/sherry/wine, sesame oil and sugar. Stir together, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.

The fat from the wings!

4. Pour the sauce over the wings, turning them to make sure they’re all coated, and return to the oven. Cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the wings are dark and sticky. Turn the wings every 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top to serve, if desired.

Serves about 6-8.

Tip: You can have your butcher cut the wings in half and serve them as a starter or as finger food.