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Susan Jung

Chicken wings are   more succulent and moist than the breast portion because they have such a high ratio of skin to meat. Their small size and  intense flavour make them the perfect, casual finger food to  take on a picnic or  junk trip. Just be sure to  bring lots of  serviettes  for your guests.

If buying fresh chicken wings connected to the drum, cut the wings between the joints and reserve the tips for another use. Wings can also be bought ready-cut with the tips removed.

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken wings (pictured)

1 ? kg chicken wings

4 stalks lemongrass, juicy part only

90ml fish sauce

30 grams sugar

30ml fresh lime juice

45ml cooking oil

3 spring onions, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

200 grams thin rice noodles

30ml cooking oil

3 spring onions, minced

45 grams shelled peanuts

Fresh mint, coriander and basil

Lettuce leaves

For the dipping sauce:

120ml fish sauce

30-45ml fresh lime juice

15-20ml rice vinegar

30-45 grams sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

Hot red chillies, to taste

1 small carrot, shredded

Crush the lemongrass with the side of a cleaver then finely chop. Mix the lemongrass with the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, oil, spring onions, garlic and pepper. Toss the mixture thoroughly with the wing pieces and marinate for at least eight hours in the fridge.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar and sugar.   Stir in the garlic and thinly sliced chillies. Dilute to taste with cold bottled (still) water. Just before serving, stir in the shredded carrot.

Heat the grill or barbecue and cook the wing pieces for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until done.

While the wings are cooking, make the garnish: heat 30ml of oil in a small pan, add the minced spring onions and sizzle until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Take care not to burn the onions.

Bring a pot of water to the boil then turn off the heat, add the rice noodles to the pot and let them soak until tender. Drain in a colander then toss the noodles with the spring onions and the oil,  coating them lightly but evenly. Toast the peanuts in a dry (un-oiled) pan then chop roughly. Line a plate with lettuce leaves then spread the rice noodles on top. Arrange the wings over the noodles then sprinkle with the peanuts and fresh herbs. Serve with small bowls of dipping sauce.

Chinese chicken wings

These are similar to the wings we ate several times a year at 'village association' lunches, when we celebrated  Chinese festivals in Los Angeles' Chinatown.  The uncle who made these wings never let  anyone know  the secret behind his fabulous  recipe so this is an attempt to recreate them.

1 ? kg chicken wings (about 12)

60ml soy sauce

15ml rice wine

20 grams honey

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 thin slices ginger, peeled and minced

2 large eggs

50 grams plain flour

Cooking oil, for frying

In this case, leave the  two joints of the wing connected. Combine the soy sauce, rice wine, honey, garlic and ginger. Toss with the chicken wings and leave to marinate for at least eight hours in the fridge.

Drain the chicken wings briefly in a colander then put them  in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs then pour over the wings and stir to coat lightly. Sprinkle the flour over the wings and mix it in, it should  create a thickish paste.

Heat a skillet over a medium-high flame and add oil to  a depth of at least 4cm. When the oil is 180 to 190 degrees Celsius (test by dropping in a little of the batter - it should sizzle vigorously), fry the wings a few at a time. Do not crowd the pan. They will take from 10 to 12 minutes to cook and turn a deep brown. Drain on paper towels and cook the remaining wings.

Thai curry-peanut chicken wings

2kg chicken wings

90 grams prepared Thai green curry paste

60 grams smooth peanut butter

30 grams sugar

90ml fish sauce

20ml fresh lime juice

Fresh red chillies, to taste

1 head of garlic

Cooking oil, for frying

To finish:

Approximately 60ml soy sauce

Sprigs of fresh coriander

Remove and discard the thick skin from the exterior of the head of garlic and separate into individual cloves. Do not peel (the skin prevents the garlic from burning)

Combine the curry paste, peanut butter and sugar, then stir in the fish sauce and lime juice a little at a time. Add the chopped chillies and toss with the chicken to coat the meat lightly. Toss with the garlic cloves and marinate for at least eight hours in the fridge.

Heat a skillet over a medium-high flame and add oil to  a depth of about 3cm. When the oil is 180 to 190 degrees Celsius, start frying the wings and garlic cloves. Do not crowd the pan; cook the wings in batches. Turn the wings as they brown and remove when cooked, in approximately eight to 10 minutes. Drain the wings and garlic cloves on paper towels.

While they're still hot, put the wings and garlic into a large bowl, drizzle with a little soy sauce and add sprigs of fresh coriander. Toss to coat with the soy sauce; the residual heat from the wings will wilt the coriander.

STYLING  Leonie van Hasselt



Winging it