sticky caramelised chicken wings

Chicken wings can be delicious, and I've found a Vietnamese recipe that makes sure they are. You can prep them ahead, and cook them quickly in a wok. This is finger food of the most succulent, full of oriental flavour, with a lovely stickiness, to lick off your fingers, and sometimes your teeth.

12 chicken wings
2 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 spring onions, chopped

• Prepare the wings by cutting off the tip, then cut them in half
• Crush the garlic and chop it up with the ginger, set aside
• mix the sauces and honey in a bowl and set aside
• chop the spring onions and set aside
• heat the oil in a wok, add the chicken with the chopped garlic and ginger
• cook, stirring all the time for about 5 minutes
• add the sauce and honey mix, stir well and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is lightly brown and tender
• scatter spring onions over them and serve

If you want to do these on the bbq, follow the recipe until the sauces are added, cook for 5 mins, allow to cool and then thread onto skewers
cook on bbq for 2 mins a side, sprinkling spring onion over before serving

delicious

oriental flavourings

I love eating salad veg using the dressing in this recipe (also below). The lime and sweet chilli sauce give an instant fresh and hot hit, and the ready made sauce gives a little sweetness too. Like all dressings, it's a good idea to taste it before pouring it, to make sure it suits you - depending on the sweetness of the chilli sauce, and how you feel that day, you might like to add a little sugar. I find there's enough salt in the soy sauce and don't add any. I always use a wheat free tamari btw.

other things you might add:
fish sauce (about 1tsp) - this gives an extra layer of flavour, a nice tang and is also salty
finely chopped coriander
finely grated ginger, just a touch
finely chopped spring onion

more later

 dressing

·                                             1 lime

·                                             1 clove garlic

·                                             1 tbsp soy sauce

·                                             1 large tbsp sweet chilli sauce

·                                             1 clove garlic

prepare dressing:

·                     finely chop garlic

·                     squeeze lime

·                     mix lime juice with all other ingredients in a bowl and set aside

Gunpowder sauce

Ken Lo says this sauce is the difference between Western and Chinese cooking. It’s a different combination of flavours, rather than flavours that aren’t Western. Soy sauce is quintessentially oriental, of course. I use tamari, since I cater to the gluten intolerant.

Ingredients

½ pint soy sauce
5 tbsp sherry
6 tbsp good stock or 1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp sugar
3 slices fresh ginger
½ onion

Method
Simmer everything together in a pan for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Store in the fridge for about a week.

I sometimes like to add a handful of peppercorns and a star anise and other times some coriander seeds.

If I don’t have fresh ginger I use lemon zest, not powdered ginger, which can give a slightly soapy flavour.

Chicken stock

So, you've had some chicken and you have bones left over. Soup is on its way.

The more the bones have been cooked, the less useful they'll be in stock. So bones from fast cooked chicken are best, still all are pretty good. You'll find the stock bubbling on the hob the day after a roast in our house. Alongside the carcass, stripped of meat I either include French or Oriental flavours. The principal is the same, add vegetables and flavours, cover the lot with water and bring it to the boil. I usually boil it up for an hour or two, usually in 20m bursts. I find if I try to do it all at once I seem to burn the pan. I'm the only person I've ever met who has managed to oxidise a heavy-based steel saucepan. Talent will out, and most other burnt pans have ended up in the bin, so I recommend Pentole, if you're prepared to fork out the money.

Ingredients for French stock:
chicken carcass
bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, parsley, bay leaf and garlic - tied up with string, or you can get it in a bag... I sometimes lob in a hearty pinch of dried mixed herbs, it gets strained off after all)
large carrot
leek
onion studded with cloves (three cloves pushed into the whole peeled raw onion)
two litres of water

You might like to add a glass of white wine towards the end of the cooking time, or add half a lemon to the stock.

Ingredients for 'Oriental' stock:
chicken carcass
1" slice ginger, peeled
three cloves garlic
handful of peppercorns
spoonful coriander seeds
bay leaf

This is the basic set of ingredients. Add a bunch of coriander, curry leaves and/or thai basil to tweak the flavour. You could also add five spice ingredients (star anise, cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg - the fifth flavour, ginger, is already included).

Check the link - I've added some words from Ken Lo about gunpowder sauce with a recipe.

Method
place everything in a large casserole and bring to the boil
simmer for about two hours
strain liquid into clean container
chill and use within a week

If you want to freeze the stock, once it is chilled, scrape off the fat, heat again, pour (once cooled) into ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen store in a freezer bag and use within three months.

I also freeze larger amounts in plastic bags sat in a bowl and freeze it like that - obviously this thaws more slowly.

a light supper of chicken and coleslaw for two

ingredients

• one large chicken breast or a leg of chicken - you can use cold roast chicken
• if preparing raw chicken plunge into boiling water or light stock for 15m and set aside to cool, covered
• make light stock by adding sprigs of fresh coriander, peppercorns and garlic
• reserve the water in which chicken was cooked - you can use it for soup

 for asian coleslaw

• small white cabbage or 1/4 large white cabbage
• 1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 capsicum pepper or 1 carrot
• small onion

 dressing

• 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 large tbsp sweet chilli sauce

 cook chicken if necessary

prepare dressing:

• finely chop garlic
• squeeze lime
• mix lime juice with all other ingredients in a bowl and set aside

 preparing coleslaw:

• finely slice the onion, cabbage, carrot (you can use a peeler to make peelings of carrot to put into the salad)
• rinse bunch of coriander and mint and chop roughly
• put all ingredients in a large bowl and add the dressing
• mix thoroughly 
• set aside for 15m

 slice the chicken

serve

place sliced chicken on bed of coleslaw

bon appetit

hints:

• some limes are a bit dry, you can add water or more lime
• if it's too sharp add a little sugar
• use fish sauce instead of soy sauce
• supermarket coriander is sold in small bunches, if you get a large bunch use about a third of the bunch 
• don't add salt or pepper - there is seasoning and salt in the soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce

variations

make large amount of coleslaw, it keeps for several days, increase other ingredients accordingly

for a more substantial meal serve with boiled rice

the coleslaw is delicious as an accompaniment to curries or roasts