Chef Dale Talde coats chicken wings in a rich flour batter before, deep frying and tossing with a sweet and spicy kung pao- inspired sauce, topped with chopped peanuts, cilantro, scallions and served with a buttermilk ranch sauce.

Ingredients

For the Schezuan oil:

  • 2 Tablespoon annatto seed
  • 1 Each star anise
  • 1 Tablespoon schezuan peppercorn
  • 2 Cup vegetable oil

For the Kung Pao Sauce:

  • 1/4 Cup rice wine
  • 1/4 Cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup and 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1/4 Cup and 2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
  • 1/4 Cup and 2 Tablespoons chili bean sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 Cup and 2 Tablespoons schezuan oil (recipe above)

For the Wing Batter:

  • 2 Cup rice flour
  • 1 Cup water

For the Buttermilk Ranch:

  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Cup sour cream
  • 1/2 Cup buttermilk
  • 1 Packet of ranch powder

Extras:

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Chopped peanuts
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Sliced scallions

Preparation

For the sauce:

Step 1:

Bring everything up in cold oil. Steep for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2:

Strain and Reserve.

For the wings:

Step 1:

Preheat oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix rice flour and water until smooth. Rinse and dry chicken wings.

Step 2:

Dredge wings in wing batter and fry until golden brown.

Step 3:

Drain excess oil off wings then toss in kung pao sauce.

Step 4:

Garnish with chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and sliced scallions. Serve with buttermilk ranch.