Get the Skinny | Vietnamese chicken wings BY Brad McGehee OF Blue Line Sandwich Co.
Sample Chef Brad’s delicious Vietnamese-style Chicken Wings & other Eat Fit fare at this coming weekend’s New Orleans Home & Garden Show.
The Eat Fit team has a full schedule of Eat Fit NOLA partners & local chefs in the cooking demo lineup for Saturday and Sunday at the New Orleans Home & Garden Show’s Outdoor Cooking Experience, featuring Ochsner Eat Fit NOLA-approved dishes – plus Eat Fit Jr. Chef Challenge Saturday morning!
WHEN + WHERE: Louisiana Superdome
Friday, March 15: Noon – 8pm
Saturday, March 16: 10am – 8pm
Sunday, March 17: 10am – 6pm
WHAT: Hundreds of vendors with everything needed for home remodeling, healthy living, outdoor spaces, decorating and landscaping.
TICKETS: Adults: $15, Military: $10 with I.D., Children Under 12: Free
Full schedule + $5 off ticket price coupon at neworleanshomeshows.com
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Vietnamese Chicken Wings By Brad McGehee of Blue Line Sandwich Co.
Marinated in classic Vietnamese flavors then grilled to perfection on the barbecue, these wings can also be cooked in the oven.
Makes 24 servings
Ingredients:
Wings:
2 pounds chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes
Oil for grilling
Marinade:
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup citrus juice (Satsuma/lime/grapefruit)
1/4 teaspoon low sodium fish sauce
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Louisiana Honey
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 stalks lemongrass
Garnish (optional):
Fresh cilantro leaves
Chili peppers, sliced
Instructions:
Preparation:
Bruise the lemongrass using the side of your knife (or a pestle). Slice the white part only into 0.5cm / 1/4″ slices, thick enough to pick off later if any stick to the wings.
Combine lemongrass with the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well. Combine marinade with wings in a ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Massage marinade into the wings to evenly disperse.
Marinate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. When ready to cook, pour the wings and marinade into a large bowl.
To cook on grill:
Lightly oil the grill and preheat on medium low. Remove wings from marinade and grill until cooked through. Do not cook on a high heat otherwise the honey will burn before the inside of the wings are cooked.
Just before the wings are ready, remove the wings from the grill and put them back into the bowl and toss in the marinade, then put back on the BBQ and sear quickly on both sides.
To cook in oven:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put the rack in the top part of the oven. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place a rack on it.
Remove wings from the marinade and spread out over the rack. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top side is golden brown, then turn the wings and baste. Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the wings are a dark golden brown. Turn again, baste and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Serve garnished with cilantro and chili slices (optional).
**Notes from Chef Brad McGehee:
If you can’t find lemongrass, they won’t really be “Vietnamese Chicken Wings”. There really is no substitute for lemongrass, normal lemons won’t cut it. Instead, Chef Brad’s suggestion is to add the zest of one lime and call it “Thai Chicken Wings”!
Fish sauce is a key ingredient in Vietnamese cooking. There really is not substitute for it in this recipe.
When cooking these on the BBQ, toss the wings in the marinade just before they are cooked rather than basting them because if you baste them, the skin will burn too much (because of the sugar in the marinade).
To catch the full segment on WGNO.com, click here.