Spicy Chongqing wings

Ingredients

• 2kg chicken wings, wing tips removed
• Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 long dried red chilli, chopped
• 1 long red chilli, sliced
• 1 long green chilli, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• MARINADE:
• 1 cup Shaoxing wine
• ¼ cup LKK soy
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Method

1. Place all marinade ingredients into a bowl, stirring to combine. Add in chicken wings and marinate for 10 minutes or longer if you have time.
2. In a mortar and pestle, pound the Sichuan peppercorns and salt until the peppercorns form a mix of coarse and fine powder.
3. Using a large saucepan, half-fill with oil, then heat oil to 180 degrees C.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Pour white pepper into the plain flour, mix together, then lightly coat the chicken in the flour.
5. Carefully place 6-7 pieces of chicken into the saucepan and cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through and golden. Put onto a wire rack to drain and continue cooking remaining wings.
6. Place vegetable oil into a wok on high heat. Add in dried chilli, red and green chilli slices, garlic and ginger – cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the cooked chicken wings to the wok, half of the spring onions, 1 tsp each of Shaoxing wine and sesame oil and toss to coat the wings evenly. Place wings onto a serving plate, then sprinkle with the Sichuan peppercorn and salt mixture, sesame seeds and the remaining spring onion slices.

Product used in recipe

• Lee Kum Kee - Gold Label Soy Sauce