Tomato Sauce Chicken Wings
Want to conquer picky eaters? This dish of tomato sauce chicken wings can definitely make them fall in love with eating. The skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and the sweet and sour sauce is full of happiness.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Main ingredients:
Chicken wings: Rich in protein. After cooking, the skin is fragrant and the meat is tender. It is the key to the dish.
Accessories:
Ginger: Effectively removes fishy smell, integrates flavor, and helps enhance the overall taste of the dish.
Scallions: Remove fishy smell and enhance fragrance. When stir-fried, it emits scallion fragrance and enriches the flavor of the dish.
Seasonings:
Cooking wine: Used for blanching and marinating. Removes the fishy smell of chicken wings and makes the taste purer.
Salt: Precisely controls the saltiness to make the chicken wings moderately salty and highlight the deliciousness.
White sugar: Adds sweetness, balances sweetness and sourness, and makes the tomato sauce flavor rich.
Oyster sauce: Enhances freshness and flavor. Helps chicken wings absorb freshness and enriches the taste.
Starch: Helps chicken wings adhere batter and lock in juice. After marinating, it tastes good when fried.
Tomato paste: The core ingredient for making tomato sauce. Gives the dish tomato flavor and color.
Vinegar: Adds sourness. Combined with white sugar, it creates a unique sweet and sour flavor.
Starch water: Used for thickening. Makes the soup thick and wrap chicken wings to enhance the taste.
Oil: Meets the needs of frying and stir-frying. Ensures even heating and stimulates the fragrance of ingredients.
Substitutions:
Chicken wings: Can be replaced by chicken legs. Both have tender meat but different tastes.
Ginger: If ginger is lacking, ginger juice can be used. It has a similar function of removing fishy smell and is more convenient to use.
Oyster sauce: Can be replaced by fish sauce. Fish sauce has the effect of enhancing freshness. The flavor is slightly different.
Tomato paste: If there is no tomato paste, use chopped fresh tomatoes and stir-fry. The taste is more natural.
Vinegar: White vinegar can replace balsamic vinegar. White vinegar has a pure sour taste. Adjust the amount as needed.
How can we make the sauce stick to the chicken wings
Strengthen the marinating process. In addition to the existing starch, you can add an extra 10 grams of cornstarch. This can form a film on the surface of the chicken wings and make it easier for the sauce to adhere. The marinating time can be appropriately extended to 30 minutes to allow the seasonings to better penetrate into the chicken wings.
When making tomato sauce, you can appropriately increase the amount of starch for thickening to 25-30 milliliters and ensure that the water temperature is at room temperature. When pouring in the starch, keep it on medium-low heat. Pour it in slowly and continuously stir so that the soup thickens fully. When you see that the soup can hang on the spatula and not slide off immediately, it means the thickness is appropriate.
Finally, when coating with sauce, stir-fry on medium heat for 2-3 minutes to fully contact the chicken wings and the sauce. Before taking it out of the pan, you can turn off the heat and stir a few more times. This way, the sauce will adhere better to the surface of the chicken wings.
Must a non-stick pan be used when frying
Although a non-stick pan is very convenient, ordinary iron pans and woks can also be used. The key lies in skillfully using techniques.
When using an ordinary pan, controlling the oil temperature is crucial. Heat the oil temperature to 50%-60% heat, about 160-170 degrees. Insert the tip of a chopstick into the oil. When small bubbles appear, it is the appropriate temperature. At this heat, when the chicken wings are put into the pan, the skin is easy to fry golden and is not easy to stick to the pan. Before putting them in the pan, don't forget to dry the excess moisture on the surface of the chicken wings to reduce the chance of sticking.
If you are still worried about sticking, add 5 milliliters more oil when pouring oil to make the oil slightly more abundant. Keep medium heat throughout the frying process to provide an environment for the chicken wings to be heated evenly. Also, be patient and don't turn them over hastily. Wait until one side is completely formed and golden in color before operating. In this way, the chicken wings are complete and delicious, and the subsequent coating with sauce will be more outstanding.
Should high heat or low heat be used when coating with sauce
When just putting in the fried chicken wings, first use high heat and quickly stir-fry for 10 to 15 seconds. With the rapid heat of high heat, let the surface layer of the chicken wings quickly heat up, which can absorb the sauce faster and start the first step of absorbing flavor.
Then turn to medium-low heat. At this stage, always pay attention to the state of the sauce. If you find that it is too thick and has poor fluidity, add a proper amount of water and stir evenly to maintain the appropriate thickness of the sauce for convenient and uniform coating of the chicken wings.
In the last 1 to 2 minutes, be sure to turn to low heat and slowly thicken the sauce. At this time, don't keep your hands idle. Frequently turn the chicken wings to ensure that all parts can be dipped in the sauce. Until the sauce is thick, firmly attached, and shiny, turn off the heat and remove from the pan. Be careful not to let the sauce dry out due to excessive heat and affect the taste.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·9 pieces chicken wings
Accessories
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·10g ginger
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·20g scallions
Seasonings
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·30ml cooking wine
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·5g salt
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·15g white sugar
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·10ml oyster sauce
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·20g starch
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·50g tomato paste
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·5ml vinegar
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·20ml starch water
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·50ml oil
Table of Contents
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Pre-treatment of ingredients: Wash 9 chicken wings and make 3-4 cuts on each side; Cut 10 grams of ginger into shreds about 3-4 centimeters long, and take the scallions (20 grams) and cut the white parts into shreds for later use.
Step 2
Blanching to remove fishy smell: Add an appropriate amount of clear water to the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put in the chicken wings, pour in 15 milliliters of cooking wine, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Skim off the foam in time.
Step 3
Marinating for flavor: Take out the chicken wings and put them in a bowl. Add 2.5 grams of salt, 5 grams of white sugar, 15 milliliters of cooking wine, and 10 milliliters of oyster sauce and stir well. Then add 20 grams of starch, stir well and marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Frying chicken wings: Pour 30 milliliters of oil into the pot and heat over medium heat. After the oil is hot, put in the marinated chicken wings. Fry one side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Then turn over and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Take out and set aside.
Step 5
Stir-fry scallions and ginger to release fragrance: Pour 20 milliliters of oil into the pot again. Put in the shredded scallions and shredded ginger and stir-fry over low heat for 10-15 seconds.
Step 6
Add tomato paste: Pour in 50 grams of tomato paste and stir evenly.
Step 7
Mix the sauce: Pour in 300 milliliters of clear water and stir while pouring; Then add 2.5 grams of salt and 10 grams of white sugar, stir until dissolved, and then pour in 5 milliliters of vinegar and stir well.
Step 8
Thicken with starch water: Pour in 20 milliliters of starch water and stir while pouring to make the soup thick.
Step 9
Coat with sauce and plate: Put in the fried chicken wings and turn them to coat with tomato sauce. Then take out and plate.
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Recipe Variations
Flavor variations: Curry powder can be added to make curry and tomato sauce flavor; or add black pepper sauce to turn it into black pepper and tomato sauce flavor; those who like spicy food can add an appropriate amount of chili sauce or broad bean paste. In terms of seasoning, you can also try adding minced garlic, lemon juice or honey to make the taste more layered.
Cooking methods: In addition to the traditional frying, you can also try the oven version. First, marinate the chicken wings and then put them in the preheated oven (200 degrees) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Then coat with sauce and bake for another 5 minutes. You can also use an air fryer to make it, which will make the skin more crispy.
Side dish combinations: You can add colorful vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and green peppers; or add mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms; you can also combine main food ingredients such as potato chunks and corn kernels to make the nutrition more balanced. Finally, sprinkling cooked white sesame seeds, scallions, and coriander are all good choices.
Sauce innovations: Tomato paste and satay sauce can be used in combination; or add an appropriate amount of black pepper sauce to add flavor; if you like Korean flavor, you can add Korean chili sauce. You can also try adding minced garlic sauce or peanut butter, which can all make the taste more special.
Serving Suggestions
Main food combinations: It is most suitable to be paired with white rice. The sauce can fully soak the rice; you can also choose steamed buns or bread to dip in the delicious tomato sauce. If you want a healthier combination, you can choose brown rice or multigrain rice. Using tomato sauce chicken wings to make sandwiches is also a good choice.
Temperature control: It is recommended to eat it while it is hot. In this way, the skin of the chicken wings will be relatively crispy and the aroma of the sauce will be the strongest.
Nutrition combinations: For balanced nutrition, it is recommended to pair it with some light vegetarian dishes, such as cold cucumbers, stir-fried greens or a bowl of seasonal vegetable soup. You can prepare some appetizers such as pickles or shredded salty radish to neutralize the sweetness and greasiness of the tomato sauce.
Tableware selection: It is best to use a larger deep plate so that the chicken wings can be completely placed and the delicious sauce can be preserved. Prepare some small saucers to hold dipping sauces or side dishes, and the presentation will be more delicate. It is recommended to be equipped with toothpicks or disposable gloves to keep it clean when eating.
FAQs:
It should be noted that after adding seasonings such as cooking wine during marinating, the chicken will gradually soften. If the time is too long, it will affect the taste and lose the due toughness of chicken wings. Therefore, it is recommended to complete the marinating within 2-3 hours before consumption as the most ideal.
But if the marinating time is longer, more than 30 minutes, it is best to put the chicken wings in the refrigerator for marinating. When marinating in the refrigerator, it is best to wrap them with plastic wrap, which can prevent the chicken wings from taking on other flavors and also avoid the surface of the chicken wings from becoming dry.
Keep the heat on low throughout the process of adding water so that the sauce won't become overly thin instantly. After adding water, quickly stir-fry on high heat for a few times to help the water evenly permeate the sauce. If it's still thick, continue to add a small amount of water. If too much water is added, it will take more time to reduce the sauce.
The adjusted sauce should be a bit thinner than expected. After all, as the temperature drops, it will continue to thicken. In case the taste becomes bland after adding water, just add an appropriate amount of seasonings like salt and sugar to make up for it.
Making cuts on one hand allows seasonings to directly reach the meat along the cuts for more thorough flavoring. On the other hand, when frying, the chicken wings are heated evenly, and after being cooked, the taste is tender and smooth. After making cuts, gently press to open the cuts so that when marinating, it can absorb seasonings more efficiently.
Finally, it should be reminded to beginners that the depth of the cuts is extremely crucial. If it's too deep, the chicken wings are prone to falling apart when frying, ruining the appearance. If it's too shallow, it won't be flavorful. First, practice on one chicken wing to grasp the strength well, and then the subsequent processing can be neat and uniform.
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