Vietnamese Curry Chicken Wings...

I've been waiting for Jennifer Tyler Lee's book 52 New Foods Challenge to arrive at my door so I could begin my contributions to the #52new foods blogger challenge of creating recipes using ingredients inspired in her book. In the meantime, I will be posting as usual with our family favourites. 

Curry seems to be a reoccurring theme on my recent blogs, and if you're familiar with my Vietnamese Curry Chicken dish, then you may want to also try this delicious and fragrant wing recipe using the same home made curry paste. Seeing that I had leftovers stored in a jar in the fridge and a bag of chicken wings in hand, it was an easy formula for dinner. Everyone likes wings, so it's a nice recipe to introduce your kids to more exotic tastes. So full on flavour with aromatics and spices, the results are oven-baked wings that are slightly sticky, moist and boldly complex in its layers of Southeast Asian flavours! 

Vietnamese Curry Chicken Wings
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1-1/2 to 2 lb. chicken wings, split

2 to 3 Tbsp. curry paste (see below)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sugar

Curry Paste (Makes one cup)- a lot of ingredients and may seem time-consuming but trust me it's worth making!
2/3 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
5 Tbsp. frozen thawed or fresh lemongrass, finely chopped, tender inner part of bottom third only
2 Tbsp. chopped ginger
2 Tbsp. chopped galangal
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. turmeric
3 tsp. salt
10 dried chilies, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, drained and chopped (optional)
1 cup cilantro stems and root, well cleaned and chopped (about two bunches)

Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, lemongrass, ginger, galangal and garlic and stir constantly for one minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add water, a Tbsp. at a time until all the water is used. Remove from heat and add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt. Transfer to a food processor along with the remaining oil, chilies (if using) and cilantro roots and process to form a coarse paste.

TIP: Leftover paste keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container covered with a thin layer of oil for up to two months.

Mix the wings with 2 to 3 Tbsp. curry paste, fish sauce and sugar and refrigerate for at least one hour to marinate before cooking.

Place wings on slightly greased foil on baking tray; discard marinade. I like to use the convection toaster oven if there isn't a whole lot of wings to bake to save energy.

Bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes until top skin is crispy golden and wings are cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped green onion, chives or cilantro and serve with lime wedges and sriracha hot sauce if desired! Serve nice and hot!

Try Japanese-style curry in Curry in a Hurry or Indian-style in Smita's Home-Style Butter Chicken. Whatever style of curry you like, we can all agree, curry rocks!