China · Home-style
Cola Chicken Wings
Chicken wings browned then braised in cola until the sauce reduces to a sticky glaze, savory and sweet at once.
Cola chicken wings are a household favourite that came about by accident, when a cook tipped a bottle of cola into a pan to rescue a half-burnt batch. The sugar in the soda reduces down to a glaze that clings to the wings, so no thickener is needed. Children tend to love them, which is most of the reason they stay on the menu.
Ingredients
- chicken wings2 pieces
- cola500 ml
- sugar10 g
- light soy sauce15 g
- dark soy sauce3 g
- salt2 g
- ginger2 pieces
- cooking wine20 ml
Directions
- 1
Put the wings in a pot and pour in cold water to cover. Add one slice of ginger and ten to twenty milliliters of cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, about two minutes, then skim off the scum and drain.
- 2
Lift out the wings and, if you like, score two shallow cuts on each side. Marinate in about ten grams of light soy sauce for ten minutes, just enough to coat them completely.
- 3
Start a fresh pan with a little oil over low heat, fry the remaining ginger slices until fragrant, then add the marinated wings. Fry until golden on both sides, turning with a spatula and tossing them together with the ginger a few times so nothing sticks.
- 4
Once the wings are golden, pour in cola to cover, bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the dark scum, which is blood. Add a knot of scallion.
- 5
Season with two grams of salt, ten grams of sugar and three grams of light soy sauce; a few grams of dark soy sauce will deepen the color.
- 6
When the scallion knot has turned golden, fish it out together with the ginger and drop to medium heat to simmer the wings slowly.
- 7
When the sauce has reduced to a sticky, stringing consistency, lower the heat so the glaze coats the wings. Turn out and plate.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.