Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken wings (trimmed of loose/unwanted skin)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 0.5 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• salt (hefty pinch for marinade, plus more for seasoning mix)
• white pepper (for marinade and seasoning mix)
• 2 green chilies (sliced)
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour (for dredge)
• 0.5 cup corn starch (for dredge)
• 1 tsp baking powder (for dredge)
• neutral frying oil (referred to as 'food lube'; enough for deep frying)
• 0.5 tsp sugar (for seasoning mix)
• 0.25 tsp MSG (for seasoning mix)

Steps

1. 1

   Trim the chicken wings by removing any loose or unwanted skin.

2. 2

   Place the wings in a bowl and add garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, a splash of Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, a hefty pinch of salt, and white pepper.

3. 3

   Mix the wings thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated in the marinade.

4. 4

   Transfer the wings to the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour.

5. 5

   While the wings marinate, slice the green chilies and crush the garlic cloves.

6. 6

   Prepare the dredge by combining all-purpose flour, corn starch, and baking powder in a shallow dish.

7. 7

   Fill a pot with frying oil and heat it to 350°F (175°C).

8. 8

   Carefully coat each marinated wing in the flour dredge, tapping off any excess flour.

9. 9

   Lay the wings into the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove the wings from the oil and let them rest briefly.

11. 11

    Drop the wings back into the oil for a second fry, cooking for an additional 3 minutes until very crispy.

12. 12

    In a hot wok, add a small amount of oil and sauté the crushed garlic and sliced chilies until fragrant.

13. 13

    Add the fried wings to the wok.

14. 14

    Prepare the 'crack dust' seasoning by mixing salt, white pepper, sugar, and MSG.

15. 15

    Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the wings in the wok, toss to coat, and serve.

Notes

The double-fry method is essential for achieving maximum crunch. The 'crack dust' (salt, pepper, sugar, MSG) provides the signature savory-sweet-umami finish characteristic of salt and pepper dishes.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• main
• chicken
• fried
• spicy
• East Asian
• party food