This chicken wing recipe incorporates some of the flavors of China - Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and fresh ginger. The wings are steamed and baked rather than deep-fried which makes these a bit healthier.
Chef's notes
Serve these wings with some Steamed Rice and some Baby Bok Choy for a complete meal.
This marinade is also good with chicken thighs or whole chicken.
Steps
1
Making the Marinade
Ingredients
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns*
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
3/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
NOTE: THIS SAUCE IS ENOUGH FOR TWO TIMES THE RECIPE. YOU CAN EITHER MAKE HALF THE RECIPE OR MAKE A WHOLE RECIPE AND STORE HALF OF IT FOR ANOTHER TIME.
To prepare the marinade, toast, cool and grind the Sichuan peppercorns. Grate the ginger. Place into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix and then take about half of the sauce and refrigerate for another time. This marinade also works well on chicken thighs or even whole chicken.
Alternatively, you could use the other half as a sauce to toss the wings in after they have been baked (see below in "Finishing the Wings").
* Note: Sichuan peppercorns are also often referred to as Szechwan or Szechuan peppercorns.
2
Preparing and Marinating the Wings
Ingredients
12 whole chicken wings (24 split)
Remove the wings tips and save for making stock. Next, separate the rest of the wing by cutting between the wing and the drummette.
Mix the wings into half of the marinade, cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, tossing half way through.
3
Steaming and Cooling the Wings
To steam the wings, place a pot filled with 1" -inch of water onto the stove-top. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Remove the wings from the refrigerator.
Once the water is hot, add a single layer of wings to the steamer basket, place over the pot and cover. Let steam over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Line a tray with paper towels and place a cooling rack over top. Once the wings are done, remove them from the steamer basket and place onto the cooling rack.
Let the wings cool and then transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This will help them crisp up in the oven. This can also be done the day before. If storing the wings overnight, it is best to cover the wings with plastic wrap, so they don't dry out too much.
4
Baking the Chicken Wings
Preheat the oven to 425°F (or 220°C).
Once the oven is hot, remove the paper towel from underneath the wings. For easy cleanup, place a piece of parchment paper onto the baking tray. Transfer the wings to the tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Next, remove the wings from the oven (close the door, so you don't lose too much heat), flip them over and then return to the oven. Let cook for another 20 minutes or until the skin has started to turn a nice golden brown.
NOTE: If you are planning to toss the wings in some of the reserved un-used sauce, now is a good time to get that started. Place some of the sauce into a pot and bring to a simmer.
To thicken the sauce mix about 2 to 4 tsp of cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, once the sauce comes to a simmer, thicken with the cornstarch mix until you reach the desired sauce-like consistency.
5
Finishing the Chicken Wings
To finish the wings, either serve as is; or, if you have made extra sauce, toss the wings and sauce together in a large bowl. Serve immediately.
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Sorry my post got sent before I was ready. I ended up using "double dark" soy sauce and what was labeled "light" soy sauce for the marinade and it turned out VERY salty. What did I do wrong?
You were right but I used "double dark" soy sauce instead of simply "dark" soy sauce wich the recipe called for. "Double dark" packs a whopping 1390 mg. of sodium. Light soy only has 900. No wonder it was salty. Next time I will avoid the "double dark" soy sauce.
After much searching I was unable to find this rice wine. Would a sake do instead? I found Shirakiku salted cooking sake with 3% sodium per tablespoon at the local Asian market, and Hakutsuru Dry Sake with 15% alcohole per volume at the liquor store. Which would be the better choice?
The most commonly recommended substitute for Shaoxing rice wine is a dry, pale sherry. Here is a site that has some good information on Shaoxing Rice Wine. Cheers!
"To prepare the marinade, toast and grind the Sichuan peppercorns and then grate the ginger." - This is taken from the first line of the recipe method; therefore, you would need to start with whole peppercorns in order to toast and grind them. Cheers!
Finding the peppercorns and rice wine was a challenge in itself, and it looks like while I was at (one of the 4) asian markets I should have picked up my soy sauce from there. I got LaChoy regular soy sauce and LaChoy lite soy sauce, which I think is different from "light" soy sauce and it came out a little salty.
I was a little hesitant about the prep time, but it actually works out very nicely if you have other things to do since most of the prep is passive. I put mine over jasmine rice flavored with a bit of lemon, butter, and soy (from the rice cooking lesson) and used some of the reserve marinade to make sauce.
It came out great and I look forward to making it again, as well as more Rouxbe recipes!
I am preparing a meal for some friends that are in recovery; I'm advised it is best not to even cook with alcohol because sometimes it can be detected. My Chinese recipes call for so little I'm not sure if it is really a concern, but I would like to honor them by using something else, if possible. Sherry is not a good option in this case. Any other ideas?
You would use the marinade in a similar way to the wings, just use thighs instead and adjust the cooking times (needs 35-45+ mins total time).
You may also want to check the temperature - as the marinade can get too dark if it gets too hot.
~Ken
Hello, would it be ok to marinade over night so that the next day I can get straight to cooking? I don't have enough time to marinade for to 2 hrs once I come in from work...
Hello, Erika: You can marinate the wings for 6-24 hours, ideally. Make sure they are either in a zip-lock bag, or an air-tight container. I like to add a label with the day and time that the marinade was placed in the fridge. Have fun with the wings. Thanks for writing. -Char
Made this tonight with cauliflower instead of chicken wings. The sauce was way to salty although I used a lower sodium soy sauce. I really wanted to like this but it was inedible. Any suggestions on how to make this less salty next time? Thanks
Hi Melissa: Cauliflower wings sound delicious. As for the sodium you experienced, I personally cook with very little sodium. When a recipe calls for, say, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, I will use a decreased sodium soy in a half amount. So, I would use 1/4 of soy and 1/4 of water, giving you the half cup of liquid needed. I also find that the sodium content depends a great deal on the brand you are using, as sodium values can differ. Also, reading the very top of the recipe, this recipe is doubled, so you may want to half the recipe in total. Hope this helps and thanks for writing. Char
Made this one tonight, and it came out great. Wife loved it! Didn't have a few ingredients, so substituted black pepper and coriander for the peppercorns, Braggs Amino Acid for the dark soy sauce, and sherry for the rice wine. Loved how the wings come out so crispy! I plan to try this cooking technique with other marinades.
Hi Riaz, a sesame seed garnish sounds good! There isn't a particular amount to use, as it will depend on your aesthetic. So, sprinkle some on and see how it looks and tastes to you. ~Eric
Eric what's the bare minimum amount of the marinade I can use for 600g ( 6 wings ) with out any leftover liquid as to completly glaze the wings before oven roasting as I hate food waste
Hi Riaz, there is some subjectivity, here, so you should be prepared to do some experimenting. Consider starting with 50% of the marinade and see how you like the results. ~Eric
Miriam R •Sorry my post got sent before I was ready. I ended up using "double dark" soy sauce and what was labeled "light" soy sauce for the marinade and it turned out VERY salty. What did I do wrong?
Dawn T •I think the problem may have been in the soy sauce, as light soy sauce is actually saltier than dark soy sauce. Hope this helps you. Cheers!
Carolyn J •I am preparing a meal for some friends that are in recovery; I'm advised it is best not to even cook with alcohol because sometimes it can be detected. My Chinese recipes call for so little I'm not sure if it is really a concern, but I would like to honor them by using something else, if possible. Sherry is not a good option in this case. Any other ideas?
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •You would use the marinade in a similar way to the wings, just use thighs instead and adjust the cooking times (needs 35-45+ mins total time). You may also want to check the temperature - as the marinade can get too dark if it gets too hot. ~Ken
Ericka D •Hello, would it be ok to marinade over night so that the next day I can get straight to cooking? I don't have enough time to marinade for to 2 hrs once I come in from work...
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hello, Erika: You can marinate the wings for 6-24 hours, ideally. Make sure they are either in a zip-lock bag, or an air-tight container. I like to add a label with the day and time that the marinade was placed in the fridge. Have fun with the wings. Thanks for writing. -Char
Melissa K •Made this tonight with cauliflower instead of chicken wings. The sauce was way to salty although I used a lower sodium soy sauce. I really wanted to like this but it was inedible. Any suggestions on how to make this less salty next time? Thanks
Hank H •Could not find dark soy sauce. Instead user Housin Sauce. Also, forgot to toast the peppercorns. Came out amazing.
Riaz M •If I was to garnish this with sesame seeds how much should I add as my starting point?thank u.
Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Riaz, a sesame seed garnish sounds good! There isn't a particular amount to use, as it will depend on your aesthetic. So, sprinkle some on and see how it looks and tastes to you. ~Eric