Asian Hot Wings

Surprisingly good even without blue cheese.

I entered the Tartan Room hot wing competition just to fill out the roster and decided to update my recipe.  I was never satisfied with the baked variety.  Deep fryer here we come...

You will need;

• 5 dozen chicken wing pieces (drumette and flat)
• 2 Tbsp smoked or hot paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp togarishi (Japanese pepper powder)
• 1 Tbsp smoked salt
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• 3/4 cup Gochujang (Korean pepper sauce/paste)
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
• 1.5 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• an equal amount of minced ginger

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, togarishi, salt and pepper and place in a shaker for later.

Mix the gochujang, agave, vinegar, soy, sesame, garlic and ginger in a small pan and bring just up to a simmer.  Take off heat and set aside.

Pat the wings dry and set them aside.  Heat up your peanut oil to 375F.

Fry the wings in batches for 9 minutes.  

Extract the wings onto a cooling rack.

Season on both sides just after they come out of the fryer.

Wings can be "banked" in a 170F oven with the door cracked in order to keep 'em warm.

When all the wings are done toss them with the gochhujang sauce and serve.

Chimichurri

An awesome steak sauce.

I finally took the bait from the guys over at SousVideEverything and made some Picanha.  It turned out amaaaazing.  I served it as a test on Dec 29, as a meal on Dec 31 and again at a football party on Jan 7.  The perfect accompaniment is chimicurri sauce, an Argentinian garlic and parsley paste.  With this, a little goes a long way.

You'll need;

• 3/4 cup each chopped parsley and cilantro (not critical amounts here)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2-4 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender or small food processor.

Pulse until mashed down into a paste.

You may need to scrape down the sides and/or stir below the blades.

Taste for salt and vinegar.

Let it meld in the fridge for at least 30 min before serving over steaks.