Curry Chicken (咖喱雞)

If you buy full chicken wings (30 oz), you will want to break them down into their smaller sections. If you buy wing sections, like just drumettes or the packages labeled “party wings”, then you can skip this separating step.

First, cut and discard the ends of the wing tips. (Alternatively, you can remove the entire wing tip if you don’t enjoy eating it.)

Find the joint between the drumette (the club-shaped drumstick) and the wingette (the two-boned flat). Aim your knife in between and cut the two sections cleanly apart.

Once the sections of all your chicken wings are separated, you’ll want to make a few shallow slices in each piece. These cuts will help the seasonings penetrate better, and the meat itself will cook through faster and more evenly. Make 1 jab into the thickest, meatiest part of each drumette. Cut 2 shallow slices along the back of each flat.

Prepare a bowl of water (4 cup) with salt (1 tbsp). Add the wings and some cooking wine (1 tbsp). This soaking step helps to remove freezer odor.

Peel the potatoes (1 lb). Give them a rinse, then cut the potatoes into bite-sized triangular chunks. If you’re not planning to cook them right away, submerge the potato pieces in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning from oxidation.

Trim off and discard the ends of the carrot (3 oz). Peel the carrot and give it a rinse, then cut into triangular chunks as well.

Peel the onion (1 ), then divide it into quarters. Cut 3/4 of the onion into large- to medium-sized chunks. Cut the rest of the onion into thin strips.

Cut the garlic (3 clove) into thin slices.

Cut the ginger (0.25 oz) into small pieces.

We’ll use only the green part of the green onion (1 stalk) for this recipe, as garnish. Chop them into small pieces.

One at a time, remove the chicken wings from the salt and wine water soak, squeezing out the excess water and placing them into a colander.

Give the wings another quick rinse with clean water. Again, squeeze the excess water out of each one and place into the colander.

Pat the wings dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Put the dry chicken wings into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine curry powder (0.50 tsp), chicken powder, (1 tsp) oyster sauce (1 tbsp), salt, and cooking wine to create the marinade.

Add the marinade to the bowl of wings and mix well to distribute. Massage the wings gently to coax the marinade in.

Gradually sprinkle cornstarch (1 tbsp) over the wings and mix well to distribute. We want to avoid one large dump of cornstarch so it doesn’t clump up badly.

Set the wings aside to marinate.

If you’ve been soaking your potatoes, it’s time to drain them. To encourage that beautiful golden-brown color when you stir-fry them, pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.

Heat your wok over high heat. Add oil (0.33 tbsp).

Add the larger chunks of onion (not the thin strips) and stir-fry until fragrant, or about 20 seconds. You’re looking more for golden edges rather than any softening. Transfer the stir-fried onions to a plate.

Add more oil (0.33 tbsp) and the potatoes. Stir-fry them until they begin to turn golden, about 70-80 seconds.

Then add the carrots and stir-fry them together with the potatoes for about 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a bowl. Don’t worry if the vegetables are not very soft; we’ll cook the potatoes and carrots more thoroughly later.

Add oil (1 tbsp) and the chicken wings to the wok. Place the flats with the slit side down so they sear nicely.

Leave the wings alone to sear for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add more oil (0.33 tbsp) around the edge of the wok to help prevent sticking.

Flip each individual piece over; if you can remember which order you placed them in, flip them in that order. Sear the second side for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger to the wok. Cook for 30-40 seconds without too much stirring.

Add the strips of onion and cook for 30 seconds without stirring.

Give everything a good stir to mix the ingredients up. Add cooking wine (2 tsp), salt (1 tsp), sugar (2 tsp), curry powder (1 tbsp), and stir to distribute.

Add the potatoes and carrots back to the wok and stir them in.

Carefully add boiling water (3 cup), enough to just cover the ingredients. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat.

When it comes to a boil, uncover the wok and give everything a good stir. Scoop your spatula all the way to the bottom of the wok to make sure nothing is stuck to the wok.

Give the sauce a taste and adjust if needed. Daddy Lau added 1/2 tsp salt, a touch more chicken powder and stirred them in.

Lower the heat to medium and cook covered for 20 minutes.

Check the doneness of the potatoes. When they’re tender and can be pierced easily with a chopstick or paring knife, they’re done.

When the potatoes are ready, turn the heat up to high to reduce the sauce.

Add the red onions and the coconut milk (4 tbsp). Stir them in to distribute.

Lower the heat to the lowest setting. Create a thickening slurry by combining cornstarch (1 tsp) and water (1 tbsp), mixing until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.

Gradually add the slurry to the wok while stirring constantly.

Add sesame oil (1 tsp) for nutty aroma and a quick dash of oil (1 tsp) for extra shine. Turn off the heat and plate. Enjoy!