Recipe for amazing fried chicken wings
Jason Wang is the chef and owner of Xi’an Famous Foods in New York; what started as a takeaway location in Flushing in 2005 has since grown into 14 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. From the Kitchen of Xi’an Famous Foods is his first cookbook, in which he teaches you the secrets behind famous dishes such as these fried chicken wings, as well as how to make the tastiest noodles, hot-pot dishes and dumplings. A wonderful book – we’re fans!
Jason Wang: “Very often, I did my homework in the afternoons in the restaurants where my father worked, and during those quiet hours he introduced me to his experiments. One of them eventually turned out to be a precursor to our spicy cumin chicken wings. In this version, however, it’s not so much about the savoriness of the cumin as it is about the wonderfully crispy chicken skin. Thanks to the double-frying process, the skin crackles and breaks with every bite, enhancing the contrast with the juicy, tender meat underneath. You can fry the chicken yourself (follow the recipe) or save yourself the time and buy ready-made chicken wings. The secret is the spice dip, which the recipe calls ‘optional’ – but in my eyes is essential – a mixture of chili powder and pepper that adds extra heat. The mixture is so delicious that you’ll soon be sprinkling it over your fries too.”
How to make fried chicken wings with XFF spices
- Chicken wings: rinse the wings well under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Put the wings in a large bowl and add the salt, white pepper, oyster sauce and garlic powder. Rub the seasonings all over the chicken wings.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Mix the cornstarch and flour in a separate bowl. Remove the marinated wings from the refrigerator and coat them in the flour mixture until they are completely covered.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking (190 °C on the thermometer). Carefully place the wings (working in batches) in the hot oil and fry them for 2 minutes. Lower the oil temperature to 177 °C and fry them for another 10 minutes. Move the wings regularly with tongs so they cook evenly all over and do not burn.
- Remove the wings from the pan and drain them on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken wings.
- Heat the oil again to 190 °C and fry the wings (again in batches) for another 1 minute until crisp and golden brown.
Spice dip: mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve the dip with the chicken wings.
Title: From the Kitchen of Xi’an Famous Foods
Author: Jason Wang and Jessica K. Chou
Price: €34,99
Publisher: Fontaine
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