Name: Nuoc Mam Chicken Wings
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H55M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT7H25M0.000S
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds whole chicken wings (party wings may be substituted); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/3 cup fish sauce; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for frying; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes); 3 cloves garlic, minced; One 12-ounce pouch potato starch; 1 1/4 cups fish sauce; 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar; 1/3 cup honey; 1/3 cup fresh lime juice; 1/3 cup rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon fermented Thai chiles or gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes); 7 cloves garlic; 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Special equipment:

a deep-fryer or deep-fry thermometer

For the quick brine: Place the wings in a large bowl. Stir together 3 cups water and the salt until the salt dissolves. Pour the brine over the wings and toss to coat. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain completely, then pat dry with paper towels.
For the marinade: Combine the fish sauce, granulated sugar, lime juice, canola oil, black pepper, gochugaru and garlic in a food processor and blend until the garlic is finely pureed. Pour the marinade over the wings and mix thoroughly by hand until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 12 to 24 hours.
Remove the wings from the marinade and shake off any excess. Pour the potato starch into a large bowl or shallow dish. Dredge each wing in the potato starch, pressing lightly to coat and shaking off the excess.
Heat 3 inches canola oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 325 degrees F.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry the wings until light pale gold and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. (The wings may also be cooled and refrigerated at this point if serving later.)
For the glaze: Combine the fish sauce, granulated sugar, honey, lime juice, vinegar, Thai chiles, garlic and 2/3 cup water in a food processor and blend until finely pureed. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water to create a smooth slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce and cook until glossy and slightly thickened, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Increase the fry oil temperature to 375 degrees F.
Fry the wings a second time until deep golden brown and crunchy, about 2 minutes. Drain well on the wire rack. Toss the hot wings lightly in the warm fish sauce glaze or serve the glaze on the side for dipping.

Cook’s Note

Optional: Before marinating, cut the skin between the drumette and flat section down to the joint. This prevents the wing from curling up during frying and ensures even cooking. The glaze can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before tossing with the wings. Potato starch gives a lighter, crispier coating than cornstarch or flour. It can be found in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.