This idea came about during our pop-up in the Glimmerman, naturally. It was a no-brainer as chicken wings are such a pub staple, the perfect bite to have with a few pints.
Serves 4–6
1kg chicken wings (a mix of mids and primes if possible)
2 tbsp flaky sea salt
450ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
For the banana ketchup glaze:
200ml banana ketchup
50g light brown sugar
15g garlic, grated
10g ginger, grated
75ml 7up
juice of ¼ lemon
1 tbsp sugar cane vinegar
2 tbsp flaky sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
50g salted butter, cubed
To garnish:
30g roasted salted peanuts, crushed
Put your chicken wings in a large bowl and sprinkle over the salt. Give the wings a good toss to coat them in the salt.
To make the glaze, put the banana ketchup, brown sugar, grated garlic and ginger, 7up, lemon juice, vinegar, flaky sea salt and two cracks of the pepper mill in a medium saucepan. Whisk together, making sure the ingredients are all well incorporated, then put the pan on a medium-low heat to gently warm. Once it’s warmed through, whisk in the butter one cube at a time, making sure each cube is fully emulsified into the glaze before adding the next. Set aside.
Heat the oil in your deep-fryer to 160°C. If you don’t have a deep-fryer and are using a pot, make sure it’s a large, wide, heavy-based pot, like a casserole if you have one. Never overfill the pot – it should only be half full at most. Always be present and attentive when frying with hot oil, as things can go south if not. A thermometer is also very useful.
Remove the wings from the bowl and pat them dry with kitchen paper to prevent any splatters when frying.
You’re going to fry the wings twice here: first to cook the wings and then again to crisp them up. Working in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the fryer or pot, fry the wings for 8–10 minutes, until they are completely cooked through (check them after 8 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack and cook the remaining wings.
Increase the temperature of the oil to 180°C. Have a large mixing bowl and your glaze at the ready, as this next stage happens fast.
Once the oil has reached 180°C and working in batches again, add your wings to the hot oil. Give the fryer basket a shake or agitate the wings with tongs to prevent them from sticking. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until nice and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack and cook the remaining wings.
Once all your wings are done, put them in the bowl, pour over the glaze and toss to coat.
Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and garnish with the crushed peanuts.