I wanted to start this post with something short and sweet to sum up 2010. A pithy observation, or a humorous anecdote. Instead, all my first paragraphs started to sound sappy on second reading, or were some version of "wow, time flew!"
I'll just say that I'm glad for 2010. The year started off rough; I was in San Francisco at a tech company, working in a job I wasn't meant for, in a city in which I knew only a handful of people. Then I made a huge move back to New York, my fourth big move in three years (NY-->Beijing-->Shanghai-->San Francisco-->New York). I spent a small fortune mailing belongings, and rebuying things that were too big to send from New York to China, and from China back. I spent way too many weeks slogging through apartment ads to find a place that deserved to be called home.
But I'm glad that 2010 brought me back to New York. I'm glad you all kept tuning in, even when the number of posts dwindled during moving. I'm even glad for the insanely stressful and challenging months in San Francisco, to better appreciate the months that came after. And I'm glad the end of 2010 brought an exciting project that partly resulted from my three years of hopping around the globe, more or less living out of a suitcase. (More on that later. I promise!)
But for now, I want to share recipe that has always been dependable, through good days and bad. These chicken wings are much more tangible than reminiscence, and much more satisfying. Whenever I got home late from work, and didn't feel like doing much on the stove, I would marinate wings in a honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil mixture, then stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes. Really, it can't be easier, and the flavor combination is tried-and-true. Sometimes I would add cayenne for a spicy kick. True, they're more of an appetizer than a full-on meal, but sometimes what you really need after a day of answering calls and working in Salesforce is to just plop in front of the TV, drink cheap wine from a Mason jar, and eat chicken wings with your hands.
The portions easily double, or triple, or quadruple. I'd make these for New Year's Eve, if I or a friend were having a big gathering at home. (Super Bowl Sunday, maybe, or Oscar night...) Any food that got me through the first dreary months of 2010 will surely make frequent reappearances in the coming years.
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Honey Soy Chicken Wings
Serves 4
2 pounds chicken wings, drumsticks and wings separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 scallion, green part only, finely chopped
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, and salt. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or deep dish. Add the wings to the mixture and turn to coat. Cover the dish and marinate the wings in the fridge for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. Arrange the wings in a single layer on a baking pan, shaking off excess liquid. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped scallions on top.
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More appetizer ideas using chicken:
Chinese-Caribbean "Jerk" Chicken Wings
Chicharrones de Pollo with Paprika Onions
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