Fish Sauce Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joint
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup rice flour or corn starch
• 1-2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Huy Fong brand)
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and/or mint for garnish
• Serves 6

Directions

1. In a small bowl, add 2 cloves of the minced garlic and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
2. Massage the salt into the garlic to begin to extract its oils. Dilute with 1/4 cup of water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Strain the garlic mixture through cheesecloth into a clean bowl, squeezing to extract as much flavor as possible.
4. In another bowl, prepare the marinade by whisking together the liquid garlic extract, fish sauce and superfine sugar.
5. Add the chicken and the marinade to a resealable zip-top bag and place in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to toss the wings occasionally to evenly distribute the marinade.
6. Preheat the oven to 200�F.
7. In a large heavy bottomed pot and using a deep-fry thermometer, heat 2 inches of oil to 350�F.
8. Remove the wings from their marinade and pat dry on paper towels; reserve the marinade.
9. In a medium bowl, lightly dredge each wing in a coating of the rice flour, making sure to pat off any excess. Fry the wings in batches until golden and cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.
10. With frying subsequent batches, remove the wings to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and place in the oven to stay warm.
11. Meanwhile, make the wing caramel by adding the reserved marinade to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When mixture begin to bubble, add chili garlic paste to the pan and continue to cook until reduced to a syrupy consistency.
12. Add the fried wings to the caramel and toss to coat. Glaze the wings by adding a small splash of water to the pan to collect the caramelized bits.
13. Remove to a platter and garnish with chopped cilantro and/or mint.