Caramelised wings

This recipe is based on Vietnamese caramel pork belly. I have been cooking this repeatedly for many years and still not tired of it. It's a rewarding recipe with only few ingredients and simple method. The wings are succulent and full of flavour, sweet and salty. Finger licking good. Whenever I cook this, all I need is just plain white rice, nothing else.

If you like cola wings you will love this recipe.

Caramelised chicken wings

Ingredients:

about 800g chicken wings, about 8 large or 10 medium wings
about 1/4 cup sugar
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
about 3.5 tbsp fish sauce
about 10 - 12 black peppercorns, crushed
few drops dark soy sauce, optional if you like the sauce a bit darker

Method:

Check wings and remove any feathers. Cut wings into half.
Heat the wok or a large saute pan till hot, put the wings in without any oil. Spread them out and fry till skin is lightly browned turn over and fry the other side. (if you are not too sure your wok/pan will stick badly, add a touch of oil to grease wok or pan before adding the wings)
Add in garlic, stir fry for about a minute. Remove wings and garlic bits, leave aside.
No need to clean the wok/pan, it should be quite clean. Put in the sugar, spread it out a bit. Heat the sugar at medium heat without stirring till sugar beginning to melt, stir lightly, continue heating till sugar has turned reddish brown, like colour of rich black tea. Once the sugar started to caramelise the colour will turn quickly, make sure not to burn it.
Then add in a little water at a time, the sugar will boil rapidly. When the sugar stops bubbling add in the wings, stir and add fish sauce. Then add 1 cup of water.
High heat cover with lid. When the liquid is rapidly boiling, turn heat down to medium. Continue simmer for about 5 minutes.
Then remove the lid. Add in few drops of dark soy. Heat on high to reduce the liquid while stirring. Add in black pepper. The wings will be ready when the liquid has almost all evaporated leaving about few tbsp of sauce and coating the wings nicely.

If you find wings very fiddly to eat you can replace them with small chicken drumsticks.

Caramelised wings