There’s a cool story behind the development of these delicious wings: Chef Andy Ricker of former Pok Pok Portland restaurant fame was inspired to develop the recipe after having ga chien nuoc mam (fish sauce wings) at a roadside stand in Hanoi, Vietnam. Over several months, Andy worked with his former employee, Ich “Ike” Truong, to get the right balance of sweet, salty and garlic flavors. And there’s the name of the dish.
These wings are pretty straightforward and easy to make, not to mention utterly delicious. Careful of the sauce, though. It’s really salty. I’d add more sugar next time.
What you’ll need
- 0.5 cups fish sauce
- 0.5 cups superfine sugar (if you don’t have any, put sugar in a spice grinder and pulse it a few times)
- 4 garlic cloves, 2 crushed and 2 minced
- 2 pounds chicken wing flats and drumettes
- 2T neutral oil, plus a lot more for frying
- 0.75 cups corn or potato starch
- 1T chopped cilantro
- 1T chopped mint
What to do
In a large bowl, whisk the fish sauce, sugar and crushed garlic. Add the wings and toss them to coat. Alternatively, you could put them in a sealed 1-gallon freezer bag laid flat. Refrigerate for 3 hours, tossing the wings occasionally.
Heat the 2T of oil in a small frypan over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Sauté for three minutes, until just golden. Drain on a paper towel.
In a large vessel, heat 2 inches—more if the wings are really big—of oil to 350° F. Reserving the marinade, pat the wings dry with paper towels. Add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl, then add the wings and turn them to coat, ensuring they’re fully coated all around. Fry the wings in batches until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
To finish, in a small saucepan, strongly simmer the marinade over moderately high heat until syrupy—about 10 minutes. Strain over the wings and toss them for an even coating. Top with the cilantro, mint and fried garlic and serve.
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