Chicken wings, Chinese

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 750g chicken wings
• 1 slice(s) ginger root, fresh
• 2 chili peppers, dried
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• Soy sauce, dark, Chinese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Wash and dry the chicken wings and either cut them in half at the cartilage joint with a sharp knife or chop them into three pieces with a cleaver. Heat a little oil in a wok, add the ginger, and fry briefly. Add the chicken wings, fry, then season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, as you’ll be adding the soy sauce). Roughly chop the chili peppers and fry briefly. Finally, add the sugar to the chicken wings, mix well, and let them sizzle a little longer. The sugar shouldn’t brown. Deglaze everything with a good splash (or two :)) of dark soy sauce and add enough water so that the chicken wings are not completely covered. Add a cinnamon stick and a piece of star anise and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little more water if needed. The meat of the chicken wings should slide off the bone fairly easily; then they’re done. Notes: You’ll have to adjust the heat to your liking. I always used a little less chili and then spiced it up with a Chinese chili paste. As a variation, you can also simmer some dried shiitake mushrooms. The chicken wings taste great as a side dish to another Chinese dish or as a main course with rice. You should definitely try this recipe!