Destination
Da Nang
The story
Cánh gà chiên is Vietnam's classical fried chicken wing preparation and one of the country's most-loved late-night beer snacks. Chicken wings are marinated for 2 to 4 hours in a fragrant paste of fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, black pepper, oyster sauce and five-spice powder, then dredged briefly in a mix of cornstarch and flour, and deep-fried at moderate heat until the skin is dark caramelised, crispy on the outside, and juicy at the bone. Served in a big platter with a small dish of muối tiêu chanh (pepper-salt-lime dipping salt), a plate of fresh Thai basil, and cold beer. Sold at every Vietnamese beer garden and every Ho Chi Minh City ốc joint.
Method
Whisk all marinade ingredients. Toss chicken wings thoroughly to coat. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
Mix salt, pepper, lime and chili in a small dish.
Mix cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Lift wings from the marinade (do not shake off; the wet marinade helps the dredge adhere). Toss in the dredge to coat.
Heat oil to 160C. Fry wings in batches for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through and pale golden. Lift out onto a wire rack.
Rest wings 5 minutes on the rack. The temperature of the oil should climb.
Raise the oil temperature to 180C. Return wings for a second fry of 3 minutes until deep dark golden, crispy and blistered on the outside.
Lift wings onto the wire rack.
Pile wings on a platter with fresh Thai basil and lime wedges. Serve immediately with dipping salt and cold beer.
Tips
- Double fry. This is the key to crispy outside and juicy inside. Do not skip the two-stage cook.
- Overnight marinade if possible. Depth of flavour needs time.
- Cornstarch in the dredge. Gives the classical shatter-crisp coating. Plain flour alone is too soft.
- Dipping salt is essential. The pepper-salt-lime mix is the Vietnamese wing-eating convention.
- Serve with cold beer. This is bar food, not dinner.
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