Lutong Bahay: Crispy Honey-Tamarind Chicken Wings

Lutong Bahay is a short tag on the title which I use to feature home-cooked food, either in our own home or at a friend's house, either my own cooking or not.

Back in the day, when I was still a grade schooler, I hated chicken wings since they only have little meat. My choice of chicken part? The thighs. I found them the most perfect chicken part since they're juicy and tasty, and have both enough meat and skin on them.

However, growing up, I found myself grabbing more chicken wings than thighs. I seriously became a convert! Although wings don't have much meat, the little they have is packed with flavor. I gained a new-found respect for them wings! So today, let me share with you a chicken wing recipe I just recently tried, courtesy of Maggi Recipes.

Chicken wings taste great even if you just fry them. However, this recipe from Maggi really got me curious, so I tried it out. Instead of just frying it, it's coated with a glaze. And nope, not just plain honey glaze. The sauce is infused with tamarind! I'm a sucker for a sweet-tangy combo, so Crispy Honey-Tamarind Chicken Wings, here I come!

Ingredients:

For chicken

• 1 kilo chicken wings
• 1 sachet of 8g Maggi Magic Sarap (optional)
• 2-3 tsp. Maggi Magic Sinigang Mix
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• salt and pepper
• oil for frying

For glaze

• 1 1/2 tbsp. of chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 sachet of 11g Maggi Magic Sinigang Mix
• 1 tbsp. rice wine or mirin
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 5 tbsp. honey

Procedure:

1. Rub chicken wings with Maggi Magic Sinigang Mix and Maggi Magic Sarap.
2. While waiting for the chicken to absorb the rub, heat the oil in a frying pan.
3. When the oil is ready, drench the chicken wings in a mixture of all-purpose flour and rice flour, and deep fry until golden brown.
4. After deep-frying the chicken wings, set them aside and let the extra oil drip.
5. In a sauce pan, sauté garlic until aromatic. Then, combine all the ingredients for the glaze and simmer until slightly thick. You can also add some cornstarch mixed with water if you prefer the glaze to be thicker.
6. Strain the sauce, if you prefer.
7. Glaze the chicken wings, serve, and enjoy.

This recipe is very easy to make, and will definitely please your whole family. Of course, given they're also fans of the sweet and tangy combo... This is also a good recipe deviating from the usual honey, soy-garlic or honey-garlic glaze that we're all used to.

So the next time you're feeling a little adventurous, why not try and make your family or friends this Crispy Honey-Tamarind Chicken Wings? You'll only need basic ingredients, yet the outcome can definitely pass off as something bought from a resto!