Baked Gochujang Wings

One of my most powerful memories as a child was the realization that in my quiet corner of New England, I truly felt like a misaligned puzzle piece when in the early years of Elementary School, another child carelessly remarked that my face was flat and my eyes squinty. It was just the casual observation of the innocent, and I am sure that the little girl that said it had no idea of how the ripples of that truth would literally open my eyes to the fact that people were different from one another, that race and ethnicity and cultures were vastly different. My parents did a pretty radical thing in the mid 1980’s, though I didn’t realize it until I was much older, by making the choice to adopt their three children, one of whom (me!!!) was from South Korea.

My parents never made a secret of the fact my brothers and I were adopted, and with the innocence of youth it never really occurred to myself nor my playmates it could matter that we looked different. I came from South Korea with a flag (one I still have!), and I remember a little book we used to read together which explained why I looked different from my siblings and parents and friends. The Korean background was never hidden from me, and I’m sure if I had displayed more interest in my cultural heritage it would have been more prominent in my upbringing.

Sticky, Sweet, Spicy, and Tart. Gochujang Wings are delicious!!

Growing up in a primarily Caucasian town, it astounds me now to see how the innocence of youth is lost as people grow, learn to fear, and learn other behaviors which are pressed upon them by their surroundings. I am fortunate that for the most part, race was never made an important factor in that environment. Fear and hatred are things that are taught and learned. Our open acceptance is so much farther now than it was even 50-60 years ago, and yet there is so much imbedded in our everyday lives that still lean us backwards in our progress. Every day, each voice and each loving and accepting gesture is what will shatter the barriers that still divide us even though in our hearts we are the same. We are family.

This community, our country, is so uniquely blended and has such beautiful y diverse traditions from every corner of the world. It was not until I was older that I started learning a bit more about the culture and foods of South Korea. Asian food in the areas around my hometown were very Westernized versions of Chinese food, and it was not until this past decade sometime that the first Thai restaurant appeared near my hometown area. I have gotten to expand my palate and learn more of different cultures from the time I lived in California and now living in Arizona. Every new flavor is exciting and expanding your cultural food horizons ultimately helps bridge the gaps in our society. Food is something that is universal, and everyone, no matter what ethnicity or color, ultimately comes to the table as a family to share in their lives together.

Baked Gochujang Wings tower.

One of the universal foods that almost every person loves is a fabulous chicken wing. Traditionally deep fried, a great wing has crisp skin while maintaining a juicy interior. You find many of the usual suspects in addition to the classic Buffalo sauce, such as Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper, Salt and Vinegar,and Mango Habanero. The usual type of Asian flavored chicken wing I’ve found is maybe a Thai PeanutSauce, or maybe something like a Peanut Satay. I wanted something to nod to my Korean heritage, so my go-to spice was clearly going to be Gochujang.

Gochujang is a spice blend used in Korean cuisine. It can be a dry spice mix, or a paste, and each has it’s own specific uses depending on what dish you are creating. The flavor is a little spicy, a little tart, a little sweet, and something that is just all it’s own. This sauce definitely has heat, but not so much that you will want to cry the next day. Honey adds sweetness and then, once you’ve sauced the wings, you add them back into the oven to get them nice and caramelized and bake the sauce into the skin. They’re finished off with a sprinkle of toasted Sesame Seeds or a touch of nuttiness, scallions, and a squeeze of bright, acidic lime juice. The combination of the pungent, tangy, honeyed sauce, the toasty nuttiness seeds, and zing of the freshly squeezed lime is rhapsody to your tastebuds.

I bake, yes, bake, these wings using this method, and there is something magical in the chemistry that the baking powder does to the skin as it dries out and crisps. This method is much more friendly to kitchen clean up and I do not have to fuss with thermometers and cleaning up oil. You can, however, choose to fry your wings and then add the sauce if you prefer a fried wing, but this method of baking them comes pretty darn close to what you would find in a restaurant. Since the sauce is so flavorful and sticky, you do not actually need a dipping sauce. I think that pairing this with Apple slices, a little honey, and a chunk of Pecorino Romano cheese would compliment the wings beautifully and be a change of pace from the normal sticks of Celery and Carrots. Essentially, you are bringing together a long loved American classic, wings, with Korea and then Italy with the Apples, Honey, and Cheese. You can even crack open a bottle of Champagne and include France in the mix of things if you want to get fancy.

Baked Gochujang Wings will bring everyone to the table.

Baked Gochujang Wings

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 15-20 Wings

These wings are crispy, and the sauce that coats them is incredibly flavorful - salty, sweet, a little funky, fiery, and zingy all at the same time to get that beautiful umami thing going.

The preparations pretty straightforward and quick, and the majority of your time is spent waiting for the chicken to cook. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it frees you up to focus on other things while they cook.

Ingredients:

For the Wings:

15 larger or 20 smaller Chicken Wings and Drumettes
2 Tbsp Aluminum Free Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt

For the Sauce:

3 large cloves Garlic
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Cup Light Soy Sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Gochujang paste (Buy it here )
1 j1/2 Tbsp Canola or other light, flavorless oil
1 Scallion, just the white part (reserve green part for garnish)
Fresh cracked Black Pepper

For Serving Garnishes:

1 1/2 Tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
Thinly sliced Scallion from above
Limes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, dull side up, then place a wire cooling rack in prepared baking sheet.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken wins and drumettes, baking powder, and salt. Makesureeach chicken piece gets evenly coated with the baking powder.
Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, skin side facing up. This allows the skin to have the maximum amount of heated air exposure as you dry out the skin before the second portion of the baking process.
Bake chicken in 250 F for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off, switch oven to 425 F and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

For the Sauce Preparation:

In a mini blender, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, light soy sauce, honey, Gochujang paste, oil, white part of the scallion, and a couple grinds of the Peppermill. Blend together until smooth, taste, and adjust seasonings if you like. You can add extra red pepper flakes, for example, or a little more honey if you want it a touch sweeter.
In a large skillet about 10 minutes before the chicken is done baking, bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened. It will darken in color and the consistency will coat the back of a wooden spoon well. The spices will bloom with the heat and you will smell them as they open up.

To Serve:

When the chicken is done at the 40, 45 minute mark, remove from oven and thoroughly coat the wings in the sauce. You may need to do this in two batches, depending on how big your skillet is.
Once coated, place back on the baking tray and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, finely chopped scallions, and the juice from freshly squeezed lime wedges.