Wings with Nước Chấm

Ingredients 

Wings

• ¼ cup yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 (1-inch) segment ginger
• 2 tablespoons Red Boat Fish Sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds chicken wings or drumettes, or a combination of both
• 1/2 cup tapioca or corn starch
• Grapeseed, canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for frying

Directions

Marinate the wings.

1. Finely mince onion, garlic, and ginger (bonus points if you use a microplane to grate!). Add them to a resealable food storage bag with fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Mix, then add chicken wings. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the wings and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

Make nước chấm.

1. Add fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and 1 cup water to a small sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Take the pot off the flame and add minced garlic and chilis. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fry the wings and serve.

1.  Place the tapioca or corn starch in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Remove the wings from the marinade and add them to the bowl, tossing to evenly coat them in the starch.
3. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with 3 inches of oil and place over medium heat. Heat the oil to 350°F.
4. Fry the wings in the hot oil for 3 minutes, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pot. Flip and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer wings to a wire rack-lined baking pan to drain.
5. Serve the wings with nước chấm dipping sauce.