Recipes

Spicy and Salty Fried Chicken Wings

Peek Gai Tod Gluea

Red curry marinated wings dipped in a thin curry batter and fried until deep red-brown

Prep

240 min

Cook

15 min

Serves

4

Heat

medium

Despite the name, these wings aren't especially salty — the Thai name really just points to the frying style. What sets them apart is a long marinade in red curry paste along with fish sauce, oyster sauce, and a touch of ground dried chili, followed by a second dip in a thin, curry-spiked batter right before frying. That double layer of curry flavor is what turns the wings a deep reddish-brown as they cook, and crisp-fried kaffir lime leaves scattered over the top add both a sharp citrus aroma and a bit of visual contrast against the dark wings.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb Chicken wings (split at the joint if preferred)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground dried Thai hot chili
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons Water (plus more as needed for the batter)
• 3 Kaffir lime leaves
• 3-4 tablespoons Vegetable oil (enough to come halfway up the wings while frying)
• 2-3 tablespoons All-purpose flour (for dusting the wings and thinning the batter)

Directions

1. Cut the wings at the joint to separate the flat from the drumette, or leave whole if you prefer.
2. Whisk together about half the red curry paste with the water, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and ground chili. Pour over the wings and marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator for best flavor.
3. Lift the wings out of the marinade, reserving the liquid. Whisk the remaining curry paste into the reserved marinade, adding a little more water if needed. Whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time until you have a thin, pourable batter similar to pancake batter.
4. Lightly dust both sides of the wings with flour. Tear the kaffir lime leaves into a few pieces each, removing the center stem, and pat them completely dry. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the leaves for a few seconds until just crisp; remove and set aside.
5. Dip each wing in the batter, letting the excess drip off, and lower into the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning only once, until deep reddish-brown. Drumette pieces may need a little longer than the flats. Drain on a rack and let cool to room temperature.
6. Arrange on a platter and garnish with the crisp fried kaffir lime leaves.

Notes

Fry the drumette sections separately from the flats if they're much thicker — otherwise the thin ends burn before the meat near the joint finishes cooking.

Substitutions

If kaffir lime leaves aren't available, fresh basil leaves fried the same way make a good substitute — the flavor changes but the effect is similar. Ground cayenne can replace the dried Thai chili if needed; use less, since Thai chili is milder to start with relative to how it's used here.