The ingredient that I chose to highlight as one that bring the most impact to me, is the humble Chicken. Specifically, the Chicken Wings.
The history of Fried Chicken Wings (Buffalo Wings) was believed to have started in 1964, where a woman known as Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, deep fried a batch of Chicken wings that she had excess of, for her son, dipped them in buttery hot sauce and served them with celery. Her son and his friends liked it so much that they decided to put it on the menu. The wings were a big hit, and there started the age of the Buffalo Wings. To this day, there are many variations of the original Buffalo Wings, such as grilled, barbecued and even smoked, with many different variations of sauces, but the one that has been stuck in my memory the most to this day, will still be the Barbecued Chicken Wings that I had a long time ago back in Malaysia.
The fondest memory that I have of this beautiful creation, is back when I was about 10 years old. Barbecued Wings would always be sold at Hawker Centers in Malaysia. There would always be rows of beautiful, dark brown chicken just slowly cooking on an open spit. My Dad would buy back a dozen of chicken wings to be shared with the family (we weren't particularly health conscious). With my age gap being so far apart with both my brothers, those times were the few rare moments that we would eat as a family as they would always be busy. The times that my dad would buy those delicious chicken wings back would be the times that I looked forward to as a little boy. Not just because of the food, but also because of the fellowship that I could have with my family. As I am many miles away from my family now, those are the moments that will always be stuck in my memory, all because of the love that me and my family share of Barbecued Chicken Wings. In addition to the memories they give me, it was also what sparked my interest in the culinary world. It was then that I, as a curious young boy, started to read books and make internet searches on how to replicate the dish and why it tastes as it is.
The chicken wings would first be marinated in a soy sauce based marinade, with the addition of aromatics such as garlic, ginger and even green onions. As they were placed on skewers and the cooking process starts, they would be liberally and periodically be basted with a different sugary, salty mixture of honey, soy sauce and many different various ingredients such as worcestershire sauce, vinegar and different aromatics. As the sugar caramelizes and chars at the skin of the chicken, it gets crispy and keeps the flesh juicy and meaty. At the end of the cooking process, the wings would then be given a quick squeeze of lime to give a perfect balance of flavors with the smokiness from the spit fire.
There are many different cooking methods that can be applied to chicken wings, mostly dry heat cooking methods which would require little cooking time, which would keep the meat still moist and juicy and avoid overcooking. Deep frying is one such method that have remained around for many years, and I suspect will continue to triumph as it should. Barbecued chicken wings, grilled and roasted are also such methods that have proved successful with chicken wings.
There are many different cooking methods that can be applied to chicken wings, mostly dry heat cooking methods which would require little cooking time, which would keep the meat still moist and juicy and avoid overcooking. Deep frying is one such method that have remained around for many years, and I suspect will continue to triumph as it should. Barbecued chicken wings, grilled and roasted are also such methods that have proved successful with chicken wings.
Fried Buffalo Wings
Grilled Chicken Wings
Roasted Chicken Wings
Most of these methods, would be able to produce a slightly crisp skin and juicy moist meat, that would resemble the Barbecued Chicken Wings. An advice I would give to anyone giving into the rumbles of the stomach as they look at the pictures above, would be to take into considerations the equipments that are available to each individual. An oven would be suitable for an array of Chicken Wing recipes, but would probably not be able to replicate the same crispiness when deep frying the wings, or the same charred and smoky quality when barbecuing or grilling the wings. However, that being said, your only limit is your imagination, so go crazy!
Reference :
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/chicken/slideshow/chicken-wings-recipes/?slide=8
http://simply-me-story.blogspot.ca/2015/04/bbq-chicken-wings.html
http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/chicken-wings-a-hot-topic/
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/chicken/slideshow/chicken-wings-recipes/?slide=8
http://simply-me-story.blogspot.ca/2015/04/bbq-chicken-wings.html
http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/chicken-wings-a-hot-topic/