Ingredients
12-16 chicken wings
50-75 g Chinese yellow rock sugar ((4-5 tbsp), if using granulated or brown sugar, reduce to 3 tbsp)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tbsp neutral oil ((avocado, vegetable, etc.) )
3 slices ginger
3 stalks scallions (cut into 3 inch pieces)
3-4 cloves garlic (lightly crushed)
2 pods star anise
1-2 bay leaves
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare the aromatics: slice 3 pieces of ginger, peel and lightly crush 3-4 cloves of garlic, and cut 3 stalks of scallions into 3 inch pieces (separate the white and green parts).
Blanch the chicken wings
Blanch chicken wings in boiling water for 20 seconds. The easiest and fastest way to do this is to use a hot water kettle, and to pour the boiling water onto the chicken wings in a large bowl in the sink (see video). This would save a lot of time compared to heating up a large pot of water over a stove. Drain the hot water, and run cool or ice water over the chicken. This helps achieve the bouncy skin!
Cook the aromatics and braise the chicken wings
On medium heat, add 1 tbsp neutral oil to a pot (I’m using a 2 quart pot). Add aromatics and spices: ginger slices, lightly crushed garlic cloves, scallions (white parts), star anise, and bay leaves. Stir fry 1 min or until fragrant.
Add yellow rock sugar + a splash of water, then cook for 3-4 minutes or until sugar slightly caramelizes, but is not burnt.
Add 1/2 cup light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder. If you like your chicken wings darker in color, you can add a little bit more dark soy sauce. Mix well.
Add in blanched chicken wings and scallions (greens), making sure the liquid covers most of the chicken. If not, add water (and more light soy sauce and sugar if needed).
Turn the heat up to high. Keep it at rolling boil for 2 minutes, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and turn off the heat. If there are any gaps between your lid and pot, cover or wrap with a kitchen towel to keep the heat in. If you're using a stove that stays hot after it’s off (i.e electric stove), make sure to move the pot away from the heat source.
Let sit covered for 30 min. The high residual heat will gently cook the chicken wings to the perfect tenderness. After about 30 minutes, they're ready to eat! Make sure to check one of the chicken wings to make sure it's cooked through. If not, leave it covered for another few minutes.
Serve over rice, with some of the braising liquid drizzled over the top. Don't waste the remaining braising liquid! Store it in the fridge or use it for marinated soft-boiled eggs, as a base for ramen broth, or as a sauce for your stir-fries.
If you don't plan on eating all of them, they can continue marinating in the liquid -- just make sure to cool the liquid down with a few ice cubes so that it doesn't continue cooking the chicken.