Vietnamese Sticky Wings

Note recipe requires at least 8 hours of marinating so plan ahead.

1. For the marinade, combine water, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Add minced garlic and pepper.
2. Add the wings and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours for the most flavor). Turn them every 4 hours to make sure the wings are marinated evenly.
3. Drain the wings by leaving them in a colander for 10 minutes. Reserve the marinade—you’ll use it in a bit.
4. Sift rice flour, cornstarch, and baking soda into a mixing bowl.
5. Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium heat. Bring it to 350 F (if you don’t have a thermometer, leave it on medium heat).
6. Toss the wings, a few at a time, in flour then shake off excess flour.
7. Add wings into the pot but don’t crowd them (fry in batches if needed). Fry the floured wings for about 8-10 minutes, 4 minutes on each side (8 minutes for smaller wings and 10 minutes for larger wings) until golden brown.
8. Remove them from the pot onto a tray lined with paper towel to drain off excess oil. Repeat frying the rest.
9. Drain the garlic pieces from the marinade and deep fry them until golden brown. Reserve for later.
10. In a saucepan, simmer the marinade over medium-high heat until it becomes syrupy and dark golden in color, about 10-12 minutes.
11. Toss the wings in the reduced sauce.
12. Place the wings in a serving dish, sprinkle fried garlic on top, then add lime wedges and green chilies.