Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Make Your Super Bowl Party a Hot Mess | Three recipes

Still letting Buffalo sauce take over your game-day buffet? Bench the orange sludge for tastier, tangier wings from three chefs leading the new Asian flavor invasion. Just don't forget the napkins

 It's not our fault we've let the one-note neon slathering known as Buffalo sauce take center field on our Super Bowl snack table for so long. All we ever knew was gloppy blue cheese and hot, hotter, heart attack.

But if you have taste buds, lately you've noticed that bold, nuanced Far East flavors are taking over the food game: David Chang of Momofuku has achieved celebri-chef status, and even your mom has a bottle of Sriracha in her fridge. So we asked three rising chefs in the East-meets-West school to remix the Super Bowl staple. Your options: a Korean chile bomb, a nuanced bite of Japanese spice, and a salty-smooth riff on Filipino adobo. No matter which one you make, the result will be sports-bar-meets-street-stall fare that's more complex—and unexpected—than Buffalo sauce.

To deep-fry, you need a high-sided vessel (like a Dutch oven or wok), a thermometer, and paper towels to pat down the wings before frying—a dry wing is a crunchy wing. Nail that and you'll win on Sunday.


K-Town Pantry Wings

1 lb. chicken wings
3 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean chile paste)
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
6 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar or rice syrup
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. minced ginger
Ground black pepper, to taste
All-purpose flour for dusting
Canola or cottonseed oil (for frying; enough to be two inches deep)
Toasted sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped

1. Cut each wing into three parts: the drumette (looks like a small drumstick), the wing (with the two bones), and the tip. Throw away the tips.

2. The night before, combine everything except the chicken, flour, frying oil, scallion, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.

3. Add the wings to the marinade, stir to coat, cover the bowl, and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

4. When you're ready to fry the next day, remove the wings, reserving the marinade in a separate bowl. Dry the wings with paper towels.

5. Cook the remaining marinade in a saucepan over low heat until it reduces by one-third, about 20 minutes. Then let the marinade cool.

6. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Dust the wings with flour, and drop each into the pot—gently, unless you like third-degree burns. Fry each wing until it's golden and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes, then drain it on a plate with paper towels.

7. Once all the wings are done, toss them in a bowl with the leftover marinade.

8. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallion, then serve them up.

***

Hopscotch Chicken Wings

1 lb. chicken wings
2 Tbsp. salt
12 Tbsp. butter
7 Tbsp. red miso
4 Tbsp. rayu (Japanese chile sesame oil)
6 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. ginger, grated
1 bunch green onions, charred and sliced (broil in oven until charred, then slice)
Canola or cottonseed oil (for frying; enough to be two inches deep)

1. Cut each wing into three parts: the drumette (looks like a small drumstick), the wing (with the two bones), and the tip. Throw away the tips.

2. Put the wings in a saucepan, cover with water, and add the salt. Bring the water to a simmer on medium-low heat, being careful not to boil the water.

3. Once the water starts simmering, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the wings sit for 8 minutes so that they cook through.

4. Drain the wings and pat them dry with a paper towel, then let them air-dry on a plate, rack, or backing sheet until they're no longer moist to the touch.

5. While you're waiting, start the sauce: Mix everything but the frying oil in a large bowl using an electric whisk or a spatula and some elbow grease.

6. Heat the frying oil to 350 degrees and gently ease in the dry wings. Once the wings turn golden brown (about 5 minutes, since they're precooked), pull them out and let them drain for a moment on a plate topped with paper towels.

7. Put the wings in with the sauce, get 'em slathered up, then eat.

***

Faux-Dobo Wings

1 lb. chicken wings
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 Tbsp. annatto seeds
1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter
Rice flour
Canola or cottonseed oil (for frying; enough to be two inches deep)
Fresh cracked black pepper

1. Cut each wing into three parts: the drumette (looks like a small drumstick), the wing (with the two bones), and the tip. Throw away the tips.

2. The night before, combine   cup of the soy sauce,   cup of the white vinegar, one clove of crushed garlic, one bay leaf, and all of the peppercorns in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken wings, stir to combine, and let them sit overnight, covered, in your fridge.

3. The next day, pull the wings out and dry them off completely with paper towels. Then dredge them in the rice flour.

4. Heat the frying oil to 350 degrees and gently add the wings. If they've warmed to room temperature, they should take only 8 minutes to cook through and crisp up. If they're still chilly from the refrigerator, let them cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Pull them out and drain on a plate with paper towels.

5. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, and the annatto seeds. Dilute the sauce with water if the flavor is too strong.

6. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. chicken

7. Separately, mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Slowly add it to the simmering sauce while gently whisking the sauce at the same time. Once the sauce takes on a glossy sheen and thickens, you can remove it from the heat.

8. Let the sauce cool slightly for a minute, strain out the bay leaves and annatto seeds, then add it to a bowl along with the butter. Once the butter melts, toss the wings in the sauce until they're covered. Garnish with some cracked black pepper and devour.

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