Korean Chicken Wings, by Noskos
In September when my friend Dennis ( noskos) celebrated his birthday, he and his sister Hetty had prepared some glorious food for us to enjoy. One of the dishes were these chicken wings, straight from the BBQ. When I had my first taste, I was hooked. Luckily some were left over and I was the fortunate guest who could take them home.
Cue November, at Hetty’s birthday party: Dennis had prepared these wings once more, and again I was blown away. I knew he’d posted the recipe on his BBQ blog ( https://www.bbq-nl.com/koreaanse-kippenvleugels-witte-barbecuesaus/), and I just had to try to make these myself. As I do not have a BBQ, Dennis told me to simply use an oven. Excellent idea!
The key ingredient for these wings is a Korean fermented red pepper paste: Gochujang, which I bought at my local Asian supermarket.
Armed with Dennis’ recipe, I went to work. The moment I opened the Gochujang container I smelled that delicious spicy and slightly funky smell: I knew my wings were going to rock!
After halving the wings, I brushed them generously with the glaze. While the wings were in the oven, I prepared the white sauce. As Dennis explained to me, the spicy Korean wings with an American style white BBQ sauce seem like an odd combination, but it works. Man, it works. The spice is nicely hot1, and the white sauce brings enough acidity and creaminess to soften some of that heat.
Though these did not have that wonderful BBQ flavor, I must say, I impressed myself. The wings were good. Finger licking good!
As with all good food, I might have overindulged a tad, but that’s OK: good food should be enjoyed fully.
Recipe
(with permission, translated from Dennis’ original Dutch version)
Chicken Wings
- Chicken wings, 5 whole wings
- 4 tablespoons of Gochujang paste
- 3 tablespoons of condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
- 2.5 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons of sesame oil
Preheat your oven to about 180-190°C.
Cut the chicken wings in half, season with salt and ground pepper, combine the other ingredients into a thick paste and with a brush cover the wings completely. Place the wings on a baking sheet, then into the oven.
Keep the wings in the oven for about 25 minutes while you make the white sauce2.
After 25 minutes, take the wings out and turn up the heat in the oven to about 230-250°C. While the oven is heating up, brush a new layer of the paste on your wings, coating all sides again.
Another 12-15 minutes in the oven, but keep an eye on them, because you do not want them to burn.
Out of the oven, serve the wings with a bowl of the white sauce: dip a wing in the sauce and enjoy!
White Sauce
- 125 ml of mayonaise
- 30 ml of apple cider vinegar
- 0.5 tablespoon of mustard (fine)
- 0.5 tablespoon of horse radish
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 0.25 teaspoon of celery seeds (optional)
- 0.25 teaspoon of smoke paprika powder
- salt & pepper, to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and keep refrigerated for the time being.
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