what, me chinese? – passioneats

As much as I enjoy cooking and eating a multitude of cuisines, I have to admit I’ve never been a big fan of most Asian food. Growing up, my parents would repeatedly joke that I must have been adopted–they could not understand why I didn’t enjoy Chinese food as much as they did. Our daughter doesn’t like rice? Sacrilege! I mean, what self-respecting Jewish girl doesn’t go goo-goo for moo shu pork?! Well, I’ve matured, and so have my taste buds. Asian cuisine is still not my absolute fav (except for sushi–I love my sushi!), but I have learned to enjoy certain dishes and flavor combinations–even rice, on occasion. My daughter, in true family tradition, does go crazy for some Chinese takeout, so I try to throw her a bone now and then. Of course, it’s so much better when I make it myself. I have found that when I play with the complexity of ingredients, I come to a happy balance of flavor. This dish, adapted from a recipe I found in Gourmet, is a great example of that balance: sweet, salty, spicy, nutty and, best of all, sticky. Finger licking good.

Asian Sticky Chicken Wings

These wings are a delicious main course, served with jasmine rice and a light salad. But they would work equally well as a tantalizing hors d’oeuvres for a party. Sauce and toss, they are easy to prepare, with a definite wow factor. I changed up this recipe by adding a Thai sweet chili sauce to round out the sweetness and the heat. While the wings roast in the oven, I heat the sauce the wings were tossed in, bringing it to a safe boil, so it can coat the wings after they’re cooked.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the rack in the upper third of the oven; cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil to prevent stickage. Mince garlic and mash to a paste with kosher salt.

Add garlic paste to a bowl and mix in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and cayenne. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken wings in a large bowl and toss until well coated.

Remove wings from sauce and spread out in one layer on covered baking sheet. Roast in oven, turning once midway, until fully cooked and caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour leftover sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for several minutes. In a small dry skillet, toast sesame seeds until golden–keep an eye on them, they burn quickly!

Toss chicken wings with the boiled sauce to glaze and then pile on a platter. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and scatter chopped scallions on top.

I like to serve fragrant jasmine rice garnished with sesame seeds and scallions alongside, and a nice cool cucumber salad. Make sure to put out plenty of napkins.

Serves 4:
Adapted from Gourmet

1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons thai sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of cayenne pepper

3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3 scallions, white and light green parts chopped

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Asian Sticky Chicken Wings

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