Vietnamese-Style Stuffed Chicken Wings
6
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Filling
1 lb
ground pork
6 oz
shrimp, minced in the food processor
1¼ c
jicama, shredded
1¼ c
onion, minced
1¼ c
carrot, shredded
2
bundles of mung bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and cut into approximately 1-inch pieces
2
eggs
⅓ c
dried wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted in water
3 tbsp
fish sauce
¾ tsp
black pepper
¾ tsp
garlic powder
¾ tsp
sugar
Wings
4 lb
chicken wings, separated
Salt and pepper
Toothpicks for sealing the wings
Vegetable or peanut oil for shallow frying
Nuoc cham, for dipping
These wings are best served with a group of folks with whom you’re comfortable getting messy. I included instructions for stuffing both the flats and the drumettes, but you could also just use whichever comes easier to you and leave the other pieces to fry. Serve them with an ice-cold beverage, a side of crisp pickles, and maybe some rice if you want to make a meal of it.
Directions
Filling
- Salt the vegetables and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature. Squeeze out the moisture as best as you can, then combine with everything else. Knead the mixture by hand.
Wings
- To debone the flat side of the wings, grab the tip and the flat and wiggle them vigorously to separate the bones from the joint. Using your fingertips, push the meat on the cut side up the bones to reveal the point at which they join. Use a paring knife or scissors to cut away the connective tissue. Push the meat up along the ulna and radius bones until you’re able to twist and pull them out individually, like you’re unlocking a lock.
- To debone the drumette, cut around the joint segments to separate the meat from the central bone. Use the blunt side of a paring knife to cleanly scrape the meat along the bone while gently peeling the drumette to turn it inside out. Use the knife to cut away any remaining ligaments that might be attached to the bone.
- When the wings are deboned, season with salt and pepper and stuff them with filling, to about 80 or 90 percent capacity. Use a spoon to push the filling into the meat, then pierce the wings with toothpicks in order to keep them sealed. You might need to use two for the drumettes, if you’re using them. Lay out in a baking sheet or plate in your fridge for at least a half hour so the skin dries out a bit.
- Get your oil heated up to about 275 degrees Fahrenheit, then fry the wings in batches for about 7 minutes, or until light golden. Pull them out and increase the oil temperature to 350 degrees. Fry the wings for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked all the way inside.
Soleil Ho
When Soleil was in kindergarten, she reviewed a book for Reading Rainbow that she didn’t actually read. She is mainly a chef and cohosts Racist Sandwich, a biweekly podcast on food and its intersections with race, class, and gender.