SPICY SRIRACHA WINGS WITH CUCUMBER SOUR CREAM

Spicy Sriracha Wings With Cucumber Sour Cream image

Everyone knows that the best chicken wings have crisp skin and tender meat, but achieving that perfect balance can be a challenge. In this recipe, which is adapted from Taku, a Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn, the uncooked wings are brined overnight in a combination of yuzu juice and salt, then fried for a good 15 minutes. The result? Surprisingly crisp skin and juicy, flavorful meat. Once fried, they're tossed with a spicy sambal-Sriracha sauce, then served with a cooling cucumber-sour cream dip alongside.

Provided by Jill Santopietro

Categories dinner, snack, poultry, appetizer

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1/2 cup yuzu juice (see Tip)
1/2 cup kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons sugar
18 chicken wings, about 3 * pounds, wing tips removed, each wing cut in half
6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sambal
1/4 cup Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and seeded
1 4-inch piece ginger
1 cup sour cream
1 quart vegetable oil

Steps:

Make the brine by combining the yuzu juice, 1/2 cup salt, sugar and 2 quarts water in a container large enough to hold the wings. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the wings and refrigerate overnight. Rinse well and pat dry.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sambal, Sriracha and vinegar. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.
Cut the cucumber crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat dry with a towel. Grate the ginger over a towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out 2 tablespoons juice into a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the juice, then combine with the sour cream and cucumber. Season to taste.
Pour 2 inches of oil in a 10-by-4-inch pot and place over high heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, fry the chicken wings in batches. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Transfer wings to a bowl. Toss with hot sauce. Serve with cucumber cream.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 965, UnsaturatedFat 67 grams, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 93 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 22 grams, Sodium 951 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 1 gram