Ease of Preparation: Medium
Yield: Serves 4
Who doesn’t love chicken wings? Well, for the wing-lover in your life who’s seen it all, these Chinese five-spice wings are sure to impress! Paired with a tingly take on the “it” condiment of the moment, a Sichuan pepper hot honey, you’ve got a game-night winner on your hands!
Ingredients:
Sichuan Pepper Hot Honey:
- 1 cup (240 ml) honey
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground Sichuan pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) red pepper flakes
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
Chinese Five-Spice Chicken Wings:
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) cornstarch
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground Chinese five-spice
- Salt
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) sparkling water, chilled
- 2 pounds (907 g) chicken wings
- Sichuan Pepper Hot Honey
Method:
For the Sichuan Pepper Hot Honey:
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the honey, Sichuan pepper, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Gently simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Reserve until needed.
For the Chinese Five-Spice Chicken Wings:
In a large pot, heat the frying oil to 350 F (175 C) over high heat.
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and Chinese five-spice. Season the mixture well with salt.
Whisk the sparkling water into the mixture until a smooth batter is formed.
Dust the wings in a light coating of flour, then dip them into the batter.
Fry the battered wings until golden and slightly crispy, roughly 5-6 minutes. Fry in batches so as not to lower the temperature of the oil too greatly.
Lift the wings out of the oil with a wire strainer and let drain for 10 minutes.
Drop the wings into the hot oil again and let fry for 5-6 minutes, until the batter is golden brown and very crispy.
Transfer the cooked wings to a paper towel-lined tray and season with salt. Repeat the process for the remaining wings.
Gently reheat the Sichuan Pepper Hot Honey.
Transfer the wings to a serving platter, drizzle with Sichuan Pepper Hot Honey and serve immediately.