A Chicken Wing Obsession – Lime Leaf Chicken Wings

My wife Marci has a thing for chicken wings. I would not characterize it as an addiction like the ones she has for tea, ice cream, and chocolate chips, but she really likes chicken wings. Perhaps a mild obsession is more apt.

Since the time I met her more than 35 years ago she has been serious about chicken wings. We used to go to The Tara Inn when we were in graduate school, where they were 10 cents each. We’d start with a plate of Buffalo wings before diving into the $10 (sometimes $5!) lobsters. Then she showed me how to make Smitty’s Wings, sweet and salty with soy and honey, a recipe she learned from a long-lost college friend.

In the past she was most interested in Buffalo wings, spicy and dripping with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, dipped in a cooling bath of blue cheese dressing. But over time her preferences have changed. Now she’s partial to dry rubbed wings rather than those in a sauce.  She got tired of the sauce making them soggy and taming their crispiness, and she became partial to dry spiced wings.

Meatiness has become a factor as well. The cheap wings from days of yore were always small and scrawny, probably why they were so inexpensive. At our advanced age and with vast financial resources for wings, we can be a little more choosey; plump, juicy, somewhat more expensive wings have become much more desirable.

When we’re trying a new restaurant her gauge of its worthiness is often whether there are chicken wings on the menu. It’s not that she will always order them, but if the option exists, the restaurant is acceptable. And not a small percentage of the time when we eat out her dinner will consist of an appetizer-size portion of chicken wings and a salad.

One of her favorites is a nearby barbeque joint that has smoked chicken wings. Fat and juicy, dry and crispy outside, they come with Buffalo and barbeque sauces on the side, along with a dish of blue cheese for her to dip, if she chooses. She rarely does. And better yet, they have a great happy hour special.

She also discovered Sichuan wings a few years back. And while they sometimes are bathed in a sticky sauce, I developed a recipe that is substantially dry. They are crispy, crunchy, and have that perfect mala bite so common in Sichuan food.

On a recent trip to Vancouver we found a family-run restaurant serving Cambodian and Vietnamese food, known especially for their chicken wings. I didn’t have to waste much time convincing Marci that we needed to go to this Michelin-recognized restaurant for dinner. After wandering through a zombieland of junkies, we found ourselves in a run-down stretch of Chinatown with an hour-long wait for a table. When we finally sat for dinner, an order of chicken wings sat on virtually every table. They were excellent – salty, garlicky, peppery, and slightly sweet with a shatteringly crisp skin. They met all her expectations, as did the other dishes we ordered. Needless to say, she was happy.

As Marci’s obsession with chicken wings continues, I try to expand my repertoire and make new versions for her. These Lime Leaf Chicken Wings definitely make the grade.

Lime Leaf Chicken Wings

Although rare, every once in a while, I’ll make chicken wings at home. Of course I don’t fry them, for no one wants a spattering vat of grease all over their stovetop and counters. It turns out drying them in the refrigerator for a few hours and baking them covered in a dusting of flour, starch, and baking powder lets the fat render out and the skin crisp up beautifully. All that’s left is seasoning them appropriately or finding a good dipping sauce.

The seasoning here is my own creation, though heavily influenced by the wings we ate in Vancouver and technique from a recipe for Lemon Pepper Wings with Curry-Butter Sauce from Food and Wine magazine.

The lime leaves in the title refer to makrut limes leaves, the foliage on a specific citrus plant that is a staple in Southeast Asian cooking. They have a bright, floral, vegetal, citrus flavor that is essential to the taste of these chicken wings. You can buy the leaves fresh or frozen at many Asian markets and because of their powerful flavor they should be minced as finely as possible so as to scent the wings rather than take over.

1 hour, plus minimum 4 hours drying time, serves 4

cooking oil spray

3 Tbsp. lime zest, from about 3 limes

4 or 5 large makrut lime leaves, central vein removed and very finely minced

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

½ Tbsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

¾ tsp. granulated garlic

½ tsp. MSG

4 lbs. chicken wings, separated into drumette and flat portions, if desired

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup potato starch

1 Tbsp. baking powder (not soda)

lime wedges for garnish

1. Cover a rimmed sheet pan with foil, place a wire rack inside, spray with cooking oil spray, and set aside.
2. Spread the lime zest in a thin layer on a paper towel-lined plate and microwave on high for about three minutes until dried, stirring once or twice.
3. Place the dried lime zest, minced makrut lime leaves, brown sugar, salt, white pepper, cayenne, granulated garlic, and MSG in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken wings, and stir to combine. Remove three tablespoons of the spice mix and set aside.
4. Place the chicken wings in the large bowl with the spice mix and toss until evenly coated.
5. Put the chicken wings on the wire rack, skin side up, and place in the refrigerator to dry out for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
6. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450 ^oF.
7. Whisk the flour, potato starch, and baking powder together in a large bowl.
8. Dredge the chicken wings in this mixture, shaking off any excess. Place the chicken wings back on the wire rack, skin side up.
9. Bake until golden and crispy, about 45 minutes, flipping halfway through. For slightly more brown and crispy wings, place briefly under the broiler, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
10. Place the hot wings in a clean, large bowl, sprinkle on the reserved spice mix, and toss to coat.
11. Place on a plate and garnish with fresh lime slices.

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