Recipe: Alec Volz's Thai Chicken Wings

ALEC VOLZ'S THAI CHICKEN WINGS

3 pounds chicken wings
2 cans (14 ounces each) coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons red curry paste (or to taste)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a wide, shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.

Cut the wing tips off the chicken wings. Discard or save for another use. Cut chicken wings in half at the joint; place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 30 minutes, or until very brown and crisp, turning once. Flip broiler to high at the end, if necessary, to give them a deep brown color.

In the meantime, combine coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir often to work the curry paste into the milk. Coconut milk tends to boil over the pan, so once you see it begin to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy. Remove and stir vigorously if it seems to be separating. Add fish sauce, sugar or red curry paste as necessary to balance salt, sweet and hot.

Toss the baked wings in the sauce.

Makes 8 servings
From Alec Volz, instructor, Walden Theater in Louisville, KY
Source: Sarah Fritschner, Gannett News Service, January 2008