This is my family’s go-to dish. Salty and umami, yet sweet and fragrant, these little wings are so worth getting your fingers (and chin) sticky for!
The recipe is adapted from Charmaine Solomon’s classic Complete Asian Cookbook, wherein it is called Mut Jup Mun Gai Yik (aka Chinese honey-soy braised chicken wings). However, unlike Charmaine, I often like to bake the wings to give them a stickier, slightly charred finish. If you happen to develop an obsession with the sauce you can always make double the given amount and reserve half to serve alongside the finished product.
Ingredients
• 1kg free-range chicken wings
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
• 5 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely grated
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190 C.
2. Cut the tip from the chicken wings. (These can be used to make stock.)
3. Place the wings on a baking tray in a single layer. Sprinkle over the five spice, if using.
4. Bake, turning once, until browned, for about 45 minutes.
5. While the wings are cooking, combine the soy, honey, wine/sherry, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.
6. Remove the wings from the oven then pour off the fat from the pan.
7. Pour over the sauce and return the tray to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, being careful to not let the sauce burn.
8. Pile the wings onto a serving platter and pour over any sauces from the pan.
9. Serve hot with steamed white rice and Asian greens, or at room temperature.
Recipe by Olivia Mackay, www.scoffandquaff.wordpress.com