Coca-cola wings 可樂雞翼

Coke is not only a refreshing fizzy drink, it's quite a nice marinade for meat. Many people are familiar with ham cooked in Coke, famously introduced by Nigella few years back.

There are also Chinese recipes related to Coca-cola. When getting a cold, many like a hot flat ginger-lemon-Coke 薑檸樂, a lovely drink and quite an effective cure. Coke is really nice to go with ribs, pork chops and chicken wings recipes Chinese style.

Coke wings are lovely, a favourite with many Chinese especially children. The sweet dark and spicy sauce coated on chicken wings is sticky fingers licking good.


The recipe is really simple, just chicken wings, Coke, few spices, soy sauce and cooking wine.


Ingredients:

about 1 kg chicken wings
4 - 5 tbsp light soy
4 - 5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (like Shaoshing)

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 small chunk ginger
2 stalk spring onion, use only the white part
1 large clove garlic
3 star anise
1 small piece cinnamon stick or cassia bark
1 red chilli (option, leave out if you don't like spicy or cater for children)
2.5 - 3 tbsp light soy
1 tsp dark soy
2 tsp honey
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
About 300 - 350ml or 1 standard size can of regular Coca-cola (not diet)


Method:

Cut wings into sections. Marinate with soy and wine for few hours, turning few times during marination. Drain off marinade. I don't like to use this marinade for the sauce, it draws out juice/impurity from the meat and makes the sauce cloudy.


Fry the wings without oil till golden brown all sides. Set aside.

Bashed the garlic, no need to chop. Slice the spring onion. Ginger no need to peel just sliced.

Clean wok, heat oil then fry the spices till fragrant.


Add in the Coke and the rest of the ingredients let this bring to the boil, then add in the chicken wings. When the liquid starts boiling simmer at medium high heat till the liquid is reduced to a thick and syrupy sauce coating the chicken pieces. Stirring more when the liquid is drying up.


If you like a zingy taste you can add in some lemon/lime juice towards the end of the cooking.