Chicken Wings with Kimchi Caramel and Wing Sauce

This is a great way to make crispy chicken wings without using a fryer. That keeps it free for the Potpie Fritters (here) and any other goodies you might want to fry up. The wings are moist and tender, with a crackling skin. I make a kimchi-caramel sauce inspired by the flavors of Korean fried chicken, and fold some crumbled blue cheese inspired by Buffalo wings into the wing sauce, and somehow it all harmonizes. The sauce is so good that you’ll find yourself dipping in French fries when all the wings are gone.

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE:

• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons / 10 grams baking soda
• 1¾ teaspoons / 10.5 grams fine sea salt
• 24 whole chicken wings

KIMCHI CARAMEL:

• 1 cup / 200 grams sugar
• 1½ tablespoons / 30 grams corn syrup
• ½ cup / 112 grams water, divided
• 7 ounces / 200 grams kimchi liquid (from the jar)
• 2 teaspoons / 10 grams red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon / 3 grams fine sea salt

WING SAUCE:

• ⅔ cup / 150 grams crème fraîche
• 3 tablespoons / 55 grams ketchup
• 1½ tablespoons / 25 grams gochujang (Korean red pepper puree)
• 3½ ounces / 100 grams crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon / 15 grams minced bread-and-butter (sweet) pickles
• ½ teaspoon / 3 grams fine sea salt

WINGS:

• ½ cup / 65 grams unsalted chopped peanuts
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Make the Marinade:

• Combine the egg whites, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl with a wire whisk until frothy. Toss with the wings and place them on a stainless-steel rack set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 14 to 18 hours or overnight.

Make the Kimchi Caramel:

• Put the sugar and corn syrup into a medium saucepot. Pour ¼ cup (56 grams) of the water over them and mix everything together. Wipe down the sides of the pot with a damp paper towel to eliminate any stray grains of sugar that may cause the caramel to crystallize. Cover the pot with plastic wrap; this allows you to see the caramel cooking. Set over medium heat and cook until the caramel becomes light amber. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, as there will be steam, and slowly whisk in the kimchi liquid, the remaining ¼ cup (56 grams) water, and the vinegar. The sugar will hiss and bubble rapidly. Once it settles down, stir in the salt. Remove from the heat and let the caramel cool.

Make the Wing Sauce:

• Put all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse 3 times to blend but not puree; you want a slightly chunky sauce. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Roast the Wings:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Spray a clean rack with nonstick cooking spray, set it over a baking sheet, and transfer the wings to the prepared rack. Roast the wings for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the wings over. Roast for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the wings again. Roast for a final 10 minutes, or until the wings are caramelized and crisp. Sprinkle the peanuts and scallions over the wings just before serving. Serve with Wing Sauce