Twice Cooked Drunken Chicken Wings With Preserved Lemon Mayo

Dear Reader, please don't be put off by the twice cooked mention. I promise that these chicken wings are worth the effort (or really, you could leave them once cooked and they'd still be delicious). These drunken chicken wings are cooked in a mixture of Shaoxing cooking wine, soy sauce, ginger and garlic and then rolled and breaded in panko breadcrumbs. They're then fried to a crisp and served with lashings of kecap manis or sweet soy sauce. I dare you to stop at one!

Full disclosure Dear Reader on two points: this recipe took three goes to get juuuust right. And the second point is that I ate two wings in a row before realising that I was going out for dinner. I had to stop myself they were so moreish.

As I mentioned you could simply simmer the wings in the sauce and they'd be good-great even and you'd probably be very pleased with your dinner. But if you feel like having fried chicken the panko crumbs and kecap manis elevate this to another level. Eat these cold or eat these fried wings hot, just eat them.

And eat them I did. I'm glad that I had plans that night or I may have polished off half a dozen wings. In fact I had these standing up in the kitchen by the sink Erin Brokovich style. I become the sink eating lady.

It was also because I became addicted to a new podcast that I was listening to at the time. I can't get enough of true crime podcasts and the latest one that I love is an intriguing one called Dirty John. It's just about the perfect podcast. For starters, a lot of true crime podcasts have no closure and I really like closure and this one has a very satisfying end. Also this podcast interviews most of the main players and is only six episodes long so it feels digestible. Kind of like these chicken wings!

If preserved lemon mayonnaise is a step too far that's ok, these are great just by themselves. Not everyone has preserved lemons. But if you have them it is pretty fabulous pairing with the chicken.

So tell me Dear Reader, is there a show or podcast that you can recommend me? I have run out! And how many wings can you eat in one sitting?

Twice Cooked Drunken Chicken Wings With Preserved Lemon Mayo

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: minutes

Cooking time:

• 12 chicken Wings
• 1 cup Shaoxing cooking wine
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 inches sliced ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 cups potato starch or cornflour (fine cornstarch)
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Sliver of preserved lemon, very finely chopped (the size depending on your taste)

Step 1 - Place the chicken wings, cooking wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes turning over the wings so that they get cooked all over.

Step 2 - Heat a few inches of oil in a pot and let the temperature reach around 180C/350F. While it is heating, place the potato starch in a shallow bowl, the egg in another and whisk and the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Roll the cooked wings in the flour then the egg and then the breadcrumbs and then place in the oil and deep fry.

Step 3 - Mix the mayonnaise and the preserved lemon and serve with the chicken wings.