Crispy stuffed chicken wings
- Portion size: Serves 4
- Prep time 30 min, plus 2 hours curing and cooling. Cook time 1 hour
- Difficulty: challenge
Learn how to make the best chicken wings of your life with this recipe from chefs Jack Croft and Will Murray of acclaimed restaurant Fallow. These stuffed chicken wings will be a guaranteed hit at your next party.
- Why they’re so good: these incredible wings are steamed, boned and stuffed with a herby mousse. “The mousse for the stuffing is a good way to impart a lot of flavour,” explain Jack and Will. “It’s full of herbs, lemon, mushroom and more chicken, bound together with cream.” Deep-fry the wings in seasoned batter for sensational flavour and texture: tender chicken on the inside, light and crisp batter on the outside.
- Best-ever wings: “When we were growing up, it was the tender chicken breast that was held in high regard,” say Jack and Will. “Even when we were training to become chefs, wings were usually thrown into the stockpot. Now, though, it’s the wings and thighs that are favoured because they have so much more flavour. This dish is all about taking something that’s already a crowdpleaser and elevating it to something that’s really special.””
- Versatile recipe: “You can tailor the flavours in the mousse, batter and salt to whatever you like,” say Jack and Will. “You can also vary the technique slightly if you wish. Poach the wings in chicken stock if you don’t have a steamer, or you could even carefully take the wings off your roast chicken and debone them for the next day. It’s the deboning of the cooked chicken wing that makes this recipe special.”
- Better batter: “We use a gluten-free batter for the wings because it’s lighter and airier, and we can still get a lot of flavours into it via the spicing. The final spice blend we use adds a last layer of flavour as does seasoning the wings.”
- Make ahead: you can steam and stuff the chicken wings up to 24 hours ahead, then cover and chill. The sichuan salt will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- 8 large chicken wings, drumettes removed (see Don’t Waste It)
- ½ tsp fine salt, plus extra
- 125g chicken breast, chopped
- 20g beaten egg
- Ice cubes
- 75g double cream
- Dash vegetable oil, plus extra to deep-fry
- 25g porcini mushrooms (or other speciality mushrooms), roughly chopped
- Dash sherry vinegar
- Dash truffle oil (optional)
- 1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tsp finely chopped chives
- Finely grated zest ¼ lemon
For the sichuan chicken salt
- ½ tsp sichuan peppercorns
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 20g chicken bouillon powder (gluten-free if it needs to be)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp MSG powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch onion powder
- Pinch garlic powder
For the batter
- 180g gluten-free self-raising flour, plus extra to dredge (see intro)
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp onion granules
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground mace
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 270ml ice-cold water
Specialist kit
- Piping bag, 1cm tip cut off
- Probe thermometer
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Method
- Weigh the chicken wings. Work out 1% of that weight, then sprinkle them with that amount of salt in grams (500g wings would need 5g salt). Set aside in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make a chicken mousse. Put the chopped chicken breast, egg and ½ tsp salt in a small food processor and whizz to a smooth, shiny paste (you’ll need to scrape down the sides a few times) [A]. Transfer to a bowl set over ice, then gently stir in the cream. Cover and keep in the fridge.
- Add a dash of oil to a pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and fry until their liquid evaporates and they start to turn golden. Add a splash of sherry vinegar and scrape up any burnt bits from the base, then transfer it all to a small food processor and whizz to a paste, seasoning with a pinch of salt and a little truffle oil, if using. Cool, then mix into the chicken mousse with the herbs and zest. Put in a piping bag and chill until needed.
- After the wings have been salted for 2 hours, put them in a large steamer [B] set over water simmering at around 90°C; use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Steam the wings for 30-45 minutes, depending on size, then cool for 10 minutes. Use your fingers to carefully slit the skin and prise apart the meat on the smooth side of the flat to remove the bones, one by one (they should slip out easily), trying not to tear too much meat or skin. You want the skin to end up like a pocket with the wing meat inside. Trim away any remaining cartilage, then cool in the fridge.
- Take a wing and use your fingers to gently open the boneless part. Pipe the mousse into the cavity [C], being careful not to overstuff it (the meat/skin should close back up around the mousse). Repeat until all the chicken wings are stuffed.
- To make the sichuan chicken salt, toast the peppercorns and cumin in a dry pan until fragrant, then combine with the remaining ingredients in a spice grinder, mortar or blender and whizz/ grind to a powder. Set aside.
- To make the batter, mix together all the dry ingredients, then pour in two thirds of the water and whisk until smooth [D]. Whisk in the remaining water and set aside.
- Heat a deep-fat fryer or deep pan two thirds full of oil to 180°C. Add more flour to a plate or container and, in batches, dredge the wings [E], dusting off any excess. Coat the wings in batter [F], then gently lower into the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes until golden and crisp [G]. Lift out, drain on kitchen paper, then season well with the sichuan chicken salt.
Nutrition
- 700kcals Calories
- 40g (13g saturated) Fat
- 52g Protein
- 33g (0.6g sugars) Carbs
- 1.8g Fibre
- 3.7g Salt
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