Oven Roasted Teriyaki Chicken Wings

中文： 照烧烤翅

Whenever I am not in the mood for cooking, I bake chicken wings.  Who doesn’t love wings? O(∩_∩)O~ 

My oven roasted chicken wings are simple and easy to make but still loaded with tons of flavors. 

Ingredients：

6 large chicken wings
3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 ground chili pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1 to 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

Directions：

Rinse the raw wings under cold running water.  Chop each wing into two parts.

Add soy sauce, ground chili, sugar, garlic, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, white sesame seeds, black pepper and salt.

Mix the wings and seasoning.  Allow them to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat a toaster oven to 400F/ 204C. if you are using a large oven, preheat it to 425F/ 218C.

Line up the baking pan with aluminum foil .  Brush or spray the foil with oil.  Place wings about 1 inch apart on the baking pan.

Roast them for 40 to 50 minutes.

Brush the wings with teriyaki sauce, send them back to the toaster oven for 5 minutes, and then brush them again.  Repeat the process for a few times until the wings are beautifully colored.

Now it is time to enjoy!

We love to pair them with local Michigan beers. O(∩_∩)O~

Hot and Spicy Duck Necks

中文：麻辣卤鸭脖

If you are a hard core fan of Bizarre Food like me, you would probably have already heard or tried duck necks before.  They are a true delicacy and widely popular in China and maybe some other Asian countries too.

Because ducks constantly move their necks around, the meat from this part is lean and tender.  it is one of my favorites too.

Ingredients for braising duck necks：

3 to 4 pounds duck necks
1 pot of “old soy sauce” *
1 clove of garlic
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
2 star anises
3 to 4 pieces of dried rhizome/ dried ginger slices
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup rice cooking wine
1 small piece of ginger root, crushed
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 handful dried chili peppers
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1black cardamom pot
salt to taste
water for braising

(* An pot of “old soy sauce” is also called “old sauce”. It is the remaining braising sauce being boiled, filtered, covered tightly and kept in freezer.  Just like the “old dough” in pastry, the “old soy sauce” adds deeper, richer and better flavor to the braised meat.  A really good pot of “old soy sauce” may last years.)

seasonings：

2 to 3 tablespoon chili oil sauce
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn oil
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
salt to taste

Directions：

The chili oil sauce is available in almost every Asian grocery store.  But I like to make my own version of chili oil sauce.

Remove any connective tissues on duck necks and rinse well under cold running water.

Blanch in boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes.  Drain well.

Put all spices needed except ginger for braising in a coffee filter paper.  If one is not big enough, use two pieces.

Tight it up

In a cast iron pot, add “old soy sauce”, spice bag, ginger, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice cooking wine, oyster sauce, salt and water.

Heat the cast iron pot over high heat until it boils.  Add duck necks.  Cover with lid and reduce the heat to simmer for about 60 minutes. If you like it more tender, extend the simmering time a bit longer.

Transfer the duck necks to a plate.  Cool down to room temperature.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

With a sharp clever, chop the duck necks into 1 and 1/2 to 2 inches pieces.  Add chili oil sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, Sichuan peppercorn oil, toasted and crushed Sichuan peppercorns, sugar, sesame oil and salt.  Mix well.

You can serve it now.  But the longer it sits, the better the flavor gets!  I usually make the dish ahead of time and let it sit for a couple hours before serving.

It goes so well with Michigan local beer!

Steamed Chicken Feet in Black Bean sauce

中文：豉汁凤爪

If you have been to any authentic Chinese dim sum restaurant, there is a great chance you might have seen people enjoying this dish not far from you.  It is a dim sum classic.  I never go to a dim sum restaurant without ordering one or two or sometimes three of them. O(∩_∩)O~ 

Chicken feet, well, they taste a lot better than they sound.  They are high in collagen which gives them the unique texture.  If you have never had one before, try to think about how ox tails taste like.  It is kind of similar.  When put it that way, chicken feet sound less bizarre, right?

Ingredients：

1 package chicken feet (available in Asian grocery store)
2 gloves of garlic
2 tablespoons fermented black beans
2 to 3 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 to 2tablespoon rice cooking wine
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fermented tofu
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chicken stock (optional)
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Directions：

Ring the chicken feet under cold running water.  Remove the nails with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors .

Pat dry with kitchen tower and then deep fry them in a deep fryer until golden brown.

Be alert!  This step is highly dangerous because the oil will spatter vigorously.  Be careful not to burn yourself, or anything else.  O(∩_∩)O~

Soak the fried chicken feet in cold water for 6 to 9 hours.  If you are in a rush, you can cook them in boiling water for 30 to 40 instead.

Peel the garlic gloves and press them with a garlic press to get super fine minced garlic.   In a small bowl, add garlic, fermented black beans, oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice cooking wine, sugar, fermented tofu, ground white pepper, chicken stock and salt.  Mix well.

Drain the chicken feet and toss them with seasoning sauce.

Steam over low heat for 2 to 3 hours

I like to do the steam in this large 6 quarts lodge cast iron Dutch oven.  It is spacious for a large bowl and the water needed for long steaming process.

Gently toss the chicken feet with sauce a few times during steaming so that they can be evenly colored and flavored.

Serve immediately in small portions in mini bamboo steamers.  Doesn’t it bring you right back to the dim sum restaurant? O(∩_∩)O~

Chicken Soup with Ham, Pearl Barley and Lima Beans

中文： 火腿炖走地鸡汤

I love to make soups and stews in cold winter times.  Although it takes long time than regular dishes, my whole kitchen smells really good! O(∩_∩)O~

Today I make chicken soup with ham, pearl barleys and lima beans.  The leftover ham bone is perfect for making flavorful chicken soup.  The ham bone adds tons of flavors to the soup, so you don’t need too much seasoning for the soup.

Ingredients：

1 organic free range hen (bought from Asian grocery store)
1 large piece of ham bone
1 piece of ginger, crushed
1/4 cup lima beans
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 to 2 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
water
salt to taste

Directions：

Rinse the hen and dice it into 2 by 2 inches pieces.  Soak them in a large pot of cold water for 30 to 60 minutes.  Change the water twice in between.  Drain well. 

Add diced hen, ham bone, ginger and rice cooking wine to a large Staub cast iron pot.  Add enough water to the pot, about 3 to 4 inches above the chicken.

Heat the pot over high heat.  When the soup comes to a boiling point, allow it to keep boiling over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes.  Use a spoon to get rid of any impurities coming to the top.

Cover with lid; reduce the heat to simmer for 1 hour.

I love my Staub cast iron pots. They are perfect for simmering.

Add lima beans and pearl barleys, and crank up the heat to medium high.  When the soup boils again, reduce to simmer for another hour or so. 

10 minutes prior serving the soup, add sugar, white ground pepper and salt to taste.  Boil the soup over medium high for 10 minutes.

The ham bone itself is quite salty.  Sample the soup before adding salt.  So that you can make sure it wouldn’t be over seasoned.

Serve immediately with cooked rice or steamed buns.

Hot and Spicy Braised Chicken with and Potatoes

中文：大盘鸡

This is one of the most popular dishes in my family.  Every single time I make it, the whole dish would be finished really fast.  The traditional way to enjoy it is to serve the chicken in a large bowl first; and when chicken is half gone, toss the remaining spicy sauce with wide and thin homemade noodles.  It is so good that right now I am literally drooling when I am typing the recipe. O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients:

1 small/ medium size chicken
3 to 4 medium size potatoes
4 to 6 jalapeno peppers (substitute with 1 green bell pepper if you are not into spicy food)
4 to 6 fresh chili peppers (optional)
4 to 5 tablespoons Pixian spicy fermented bean paste (available in most Asian grocery stores)
1 to 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (available in most Asian grocery stores)
1 1/2to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 can room temperature beer
1 handful of dried red chilies
2 gloves of garlic
1 small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 to 2 star anises
2 to 3 pieces of dried rhizoma
2 to 3 clovers
5 to 6 tablespoons cooking oil
salt to taste
 

Directions:

Pixian spicy fermented bean paste is one of must have key ingredients in Sichuan style cooking.  You should be able to get it from Asian grocery store.  The most authentic ones are produced in Pixian area, Sichuan province, China.

Sichuan peppercorns

I grew my own fresh chili peppers in the summer time.  Can’t wait for the next summer!

Directions:

Rinse the chicken and dice it into 1 inch pieces with a sharp cleaver.

Peel the potatoes or brush them thoroughly if you would like to leave the skins on.  Cut each potato into 6 or 8 pieces. 

Coarsely chop each fresh pepper to 3 to 4 small pieces. 

Peel and thinly slice the garlic. 

Rinse the dried chilies and cut all of them into halves.

Heat the wok over high heat.  Add cooking oil, and then sugar.  When sugar turns into golden color syrup, add chicken and stir fry until chicken is golden brown too. 

Add ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, star anises, dried rhizome and clovers.  Stir fry for a couple minutes.  Add Pixian spicy fermented bean paste. 

Stir fry for another couple minutes.  Add beer.  When the broth boils, cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add potatoes and jalapeno peppers.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. 

The Pixian spicy fermented bean paste is usually quite salty, so I don’t add any extra salt. 

I need my wok for another dish.  So I transfer the chicken to a Le Creuset cast iron pot to finish cooking.

Serve immediately. 

The most authentic way is to serve it with broad thin freshly made noodles.  I skip it this time.