Pineapple Tamarind Wings
" Everything begins with an Idea" Earl Nightingale. I am pretty sure you would have heard that quote before and for me that was the starting point of this recipe . I had a mental inventory of some random items ( tamarind concentrate, frozen galangal and open tin of pineapple juice )that I wanted to use and it clicked …the idea - Thai inspired wings in a pineapple and tamarind glaze. Thai because galangal, tamarind and pineapple are featured in various dishes …so this one came from the imaginations of Kari and might I say it really did hit the taste test for me, the kiddo however, loved the wings in their plain crispy fried format. I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would and I believe there will be some future dishes experimenting with this combo . Let me know if you take this one for a spin and liked the flavours. I know this is a process : marinate wings → make glaze→ fry wings→ toss in glaze but it is worth it for a new take on the staple fried chicken wings
Tips:
Rice flour mixed with all-purpose flour gives a crispy crunchy coating to fried chicken. I made my rice flour by tossing 1/4 cup of rice into my Ninja and pulsed until it became powdery, I would say if you are trying this to be careful because this can cause overheating of appliances if they weren't designed for this purpose.
I prefer to pan fry the wings in oil until a lovely brown colour is achieved and then pop them in the oven to finish cooking . Feel free to cook the wings completely in the fry pan if that is your preference approximately 15-20 minutes on medium heat.
Substitutes:
White Pepper can be substituted with black pepper, chile or cayenne powder depending on your spice tolerance and preference
Galangal can be substituted with 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder or paste mixed with 2 drops of lemon juice
Fish sauce can be substituted with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or coconut aminos
Shallot can be substituted with white or red onion.
Rice flour can be substituted with corn starch
*I used a packet of chicken drumettes approximately 10 pieces ,because that is what I had on hand, feel free to use drumettes and flats and not use the whole wing as it makes coating it in the glaze challenging.
Ingredients :
Wing Marinade :
1 pk chicken wings (10 drumettes)
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon of lime zest (zest of 1 lime)
1/4 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of grated galangal (frozen)
1/2 teaspoon of grated shallot
Wing Coating :
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 cup of oil for frying
Glaze:
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 tablespoon of tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon of lime juice
2 tablespoons of hot water
Preparation:
Prepare chicken drumettes by removing any excess fat (if applicable ) and tossing in lime juice, salt, pepper, zest, galangal and shallot. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.
Place all glaze ingredients except the lime juice into a pan and place on low heat for 15 -20 minutes until it becomes a thick gravy like consistency or reduces by 1/2 . Remove from the heat and add in the lime juice into the glaze and mix to fully incorporate. Please note with the tamarind concentrate the sauce will further thicken as it cools.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes before frying to bring up to room temperature. Pre heat the oven to 400 F and in fry pan place 1 cup of vegetable oil and allow to preheat on medium .
Toss the chicken in the flour mix ensuring to dust off excess , this will help maintain a thin outer coating which will allow better glazing of the wings.
When the oil is hot gently place the chicken pieces in the oil. (Depending on the size of your fry pan this may need to be done in 2 batches). Allow each side about 3- 5 minutes turn brown before flipping over and removing from the oil and placing into a baking tray.
Place wings in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the wings are fully cooked (internal temperature of 165F or when the chicken in poked the juices run clear) remove from the oven .
Place wings in a heat proof bowl (or keep in the baking tray) and pour the glaze over the wings to coat evenly. Using tongs and continuously turning the wings in the glaze helps to get a better coating . Please note if the glaze thicken up too much, just place on the stove for 2 minutes to reheat and this will ensure the glaze thins and coats the wings.