Shandong chicken wings are like a cross between sweet and sour pork and crispy chicken wings. Both delicious dishes on their own and when combined, are fantastic. This dish hails from the province of Shandong in eastern China, a region known for its distinctive
cuisine.
The wing of a chicken has three joints. This recipe uses the center joint. When I first started making this dish, I used the first wing joint (commonly used for buffalo wings), reasoning that there was more meat and therefore it was somehow better. I was wrong. The center joint is far superior and should always be favored when cooking this dish.
This dish involves two methods of cooking. First the chicken is first deep fried and then it is later pan fried in a sauce. This technique is common in China and allows the wings to stay nice and crispy despite being covered in sauce. The battering technique for the wings is also very typical of Chinese cooking and is called
velveting.
Serves 4 people
2
lbs chicken wing center joints3
egg whites1/3
cup cornstarch1/4
tsp salt- oil (for deep-frying)
1
red chili, such as bird chile or arbol, finely minced1/2
tsp salt2/3
cup rice vinegar1/2
cup sugar2
tbsp light soy sauce6
cloves garlic, finely minced2
tsp chili paste
Sauce ingredients
In a medium bowl, add the egg whites and whisk with a fork until they are a little foamy. Add cornstarch and stir again until you form a batter about as thick as heavy cream. If the batter is too thin add a little more cornstarch.
Cut each chicken wing into its 3 individual joints. Save the first wing joint and wing tip for another use (see tip below). Add the center joints to the batter and stir to coat the wings evenly.
Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until reduced down to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat oil for deep frying in a wok until it is hot but not smoking. Add the chicken wings in two separate batches. As you add the chicken wings, stir them around a bit to prevent them sticking to each other or the base of the wok. Cook until crispy and appear deep golden brown in color. Cooking time should be about 6 minutes. Transfer wings to paper towel and allow to rest for a few minutes. Repeat with the second batch of wings.
Chicken wings, resting after being deep fried
Drain oil from wok and return to medium heat. Add sauce that was set aside and bring to the boil. Add the chicken wings, stir to coat completely and pan fry for a few minutes. Keep them moving in the pan to prevent the sugar from burning. Once the sauce has been absorbed, and the wings start to look sticky, remove from heat.
Transfer the wings to a large serving dish, garnish with scallion and serve immediately.
In the supermarket, you will more often find whole wings rather than packs of just the center joint. Don't sweat it. Buy the whole chicken wings, cut them up to obtain the joint required for this recipe, and freeze the rest for making
chicken stock.
Further Reading
Read tips on
deep frying