The Best Lollipop Chicken Wings Recipe

Ah, Lollipop-style Chicken Wings with Gochujang Sauce - a titillating ride of textures and flavors, and a tribute to the Korean-American culinary fusion. The dish embodies two distinctive cooking traditions, introducing the elegant lollipop-style chicken wings that originated from the French "en papillote" cooking technique to the fiery and complex gochujang sauce, a staple in Korean cuisine.

Making this at home is a dance between precision and spontaneity. The art of crafting lollipop-style chicken wings requires a careful hand and a bit of patience, as you're transforming an ordinary chicken wing into an elegant, easy-to-eat delight. Then comes the wild and unpredictable part - the gochujang sauce. It's an exhilarating blend of fiery Korean chili paste, tangy vinegar, and the savory richness of soy sauce. When these wings are bathed in the sauce, the party truly begins.

There's something inherently fun about lollipop-style chicken wings. They're a gastronomic nod to our childhood, a time when the best foods were often on a stick. Combine this with the adult-friendly kick of the gochujang sauce, and you have a dish that’s a rollercoaster of flavors and emotions. So, next time you’re feeling adventurous, why not take your taste buds on a joyride with these Lollipop-style Chicken Wings with Gochujang Sauce? 🤘🏼Adam

Yield: 8 wings

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Lollipop Chicken Wings

Cook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients

Chicken

• 8 Chicken Wings
• Potato Starch
• Oil, for frying
• Kosher salt, to taste

Gochujang Sauce

• 2 Tbsp Gochujang (fermented chili paste)
• 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds, extra for garnish
• 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1/2 inch knob Ginger, minced
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Scallions, thinly sliced
• *should have consistency of thin maple syrup.

Instructions

1. Secure your cutting board on a damp paper towel to prevent wobbling. You can use chicken wings or drumsticks for this recipe. Slice around the bone just above the joint. It's essential to not slice on the joint itself but rather above it. Choke up on the knife to get more precise cuts. Push the flesh from the bone to separate the mini drumstick from the wing. Then move onto the wing itself. Slice directly above the joint and in between the bones too. Bend back and twist to release the bone leaving a clean stem. Use your fingers to push the meat down the bone to form the head of the lollipop, then use your other hand to pull and shape the meat over itself. Continue this process for the remaining wings, aiming to make eight.
2. Lightly season the prepped lollipops. Add them to a bag with some potato starch. Seal the bag and shake until all wings are fully coated. Knock off the excess starch and set the wings on a tray.
3. Use a heavy-bottomed pot for frying. Any neutral oil will do, but canola and grape seed oil are popular choices due to their affordability and high heat tolerance. Heat the oil to approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but remember that adding a lot of cold food can lower the oil temperature. To avoid this, bump the temperature up 10 to 20 degrees before adding the wings. Double fry the wings by frying them for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove them from the oil and let them rest before frying them again for another 6 to 10 minutes. They should look super golden when finished.
4. While waiting for the second fry, prepare the sauce. Mince garlic and ginger, then add them to a mixing bowl. Add sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, gochujang (a fermented chili paste), toasted sesame seeds, honey, water, and a little salt to the same bowl and mix. The mixture should be thinned out with water until it reaches a consistency similar to thin maple syrup.
5. Once the wings are done frying, transfer them directly into the sauce. Toss the wings until they are fully coated. If you prefer cleaner handles on your lollipops, you can individually coat each wing in the sauce instead.
6. These saucy lollipops are best eaten immediately. Top them off with thinly sliced scallions for added flavor.

Adam's Notes

• Remember, the process can be a bit messy, but the result is a fun, straightforward dish that's perfect for a crowd. You might find yourself getting fry-happy and wanting to fry everything in your kitchen. Just remember to enjoy the process, embrace the mess, and do what gives you energy.

Stuff that I Use:

Potato Starch

Gochujang

Candy thermometer

Grapeseed Oil

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