NEW ORLEANS —
Coke Braised Chicken Wings
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 16 chicken wings, dried off with paper towels
- 2 dried chili peppers, chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced 3 inches long
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Mirin
- 1 can (12 oz.) coca-cola
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
- chopped cilantro or green onion for garnish
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When oil is warm, add chicken wings, skin side down. Grill until the bottom side turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip wings and fry the other side until golden. Stop heat and transfer chicken wings to a plate. Set aside. Save the oil.
Heat a wok over medium high heat. When wok is hot, add the remaining oil from the skillet. Carefully lift the wok and swirl, to coat the lower third of the wok with oil. Turn to medium heat. Add chili pepper and let it cook for a few seconds, until dark. Add green onions, and ginger and stir several times until fragrant. Add soy sauce, Mirin and Coke and gently stir a few times. Carefully add chicken wings. Stir a few times to coat with sauce.
When the sauce starts to boil, turn to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. During the first 15 minutes, use a spatula to stir 2 to 3 times, to avoid burning on the bottom, taking care to keep the wings evenly coated with sauce. When the sauce starts to thicken, add salt. Stay near the wok and stir frequently once the sauce has reduced to a third original amount. When the sauce has become very thick and coats the wings well, stop heat. If sauce is still thin after 20 minutes, turn to medium high heat to thicken the sauce. Be careful, as you can easily burn the chicken toward the end of braising. Transfer wings to a plate and garnish with cilantro or green onion.
Serve warm or cold.