When it comes to food, Chinese are hipsters. Did you know that many of the popular food favorites of humanity of all time they have invented thousands of years ago? Pizza? Check. Pasta? Check. Burgers? Check. Yeah, they all ate it before it became popular. Or at least they claim so. No matter if it’s all truth or not, it points how various and unexpected the Chinese cuisine is. From dumplings to stir-fries, from tofu to all kinds of meat – the range of recipes is as wide as China itself. So why is it that I cannot feel real love for this food? Is it the fact that Chinese seem not to have any taboo in what not eat? Well, I don’t think so. My morals are strong enough to know what my stomach will not be allowed to take in. Is it too exotic? Too expensive? Not tasty? No, no and, of course, no. The only answer I can find is its little popularity in Poland. It’s hard to find a really good Chinese restaurant even here in the Capital City, so it’s hard to be well exposed to the luring variety of Chinese dishes. Not many publications on the subject, no culinary programs with this theme on TV. Gordon Ramsay finds his Great Escape in India, Nigella bites Italy, Polish chefs do Polish food traditions all over again and all I was recently left with was meeting Gok Wan’s father to teach me a little bit about the Chinese delicacies. Surprisingly, Papa Wan turned out to be a quite convincing guide. So here I am with my bags packed and ready to go on the trip to the exciting world of fermented soy beans and ginger. Here’s what might buy you a ticket as well.
Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken Wings
(Based on the recipe from the book “Gok Cooks Chinese”)
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp groundnut oil
6 chicken wings, split at joints, tips discarded
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 spring onions – 2 finely sliced into rounds, 1 sliced into diagonal pieces
6 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp light soy sauce
½ of a fresh red chilli, finely sliced
Preparation:
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large wok (or a big frying pan) over a high heat. Add the chicken wings and brown them on both sides (approximately 4–5 minutes). Once browned, remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the garlic, ginger and the 2 finely sliced spring onions. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until just softened. Put the chicken back into the wok and toss to incorporate with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour in the water, honey and soy sauce. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, put a lid on the wok (or cover it with foil) and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn the chicken wings over. The liquid should be reduced by now and the wings should be nicely caramelized. Cook for another 3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze. Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest for just a few minutes.
Place the chicken thighs on a serving plate and garnish with the remaining spring onion and the red chilli.
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2-3 as a part of the main course.
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