Thai-style chicken wings

Sometimes all you need is some good ol' fried chicken to get through the day .

It's the time of the month .....

Nah , that's my usual spiel whenever I have this urge to eat unhealthy food lol

I carted several new cookbooks from the library few day ago and the cover of one of the book caught my greedy eye . Yeah , fried chicken wings in all its glory ! 

I give myself a good talking to that I need bake a cake or cupcakes so that I can practice my piping skills , it leaves a lot to be desired *sigh* 

The decision is a no-brainer ! 

The recipe is quiet simple and without batter or coating . I want some crispy and crunchy wings so I stole this batter recipe from She Simmers . She used limestone water for her chicken batter and rice flour for coating , and that makes fried chicken stays crisp for a longer time . I don't even knew what limestone is nor where to buy it but combining baking soda and water as a sub will work as well . 

These wings are even better than the Vietnamese wings that I made last time ! The flavor is much more lighter , I think the coriander roots and lime juice balances the strong taste of Thai fish sauce . 

Seriously appetizing with a delightful crispy crunch and not recommended by doctors these wings made my day  ^___^''

Recipe adapted from A Celebration of Food

 1 kg chicken wings , wing tips removed I used mid-joint wings only
2 garlic cloves , peeled I used 5 cloves 
2 red bird's-eye chillies , finely minced 
The roots of several sprigs of fresh coriander roots , finely chopped 6 coriander roots
80 ml Thai fish sauce
20 grams granulated sugar raw sugar
20 ml fresh lime juice 25 ml 
a pinch of ground white pepper
Cooking oil , for frying 

For the batter ( Please check full recipe here )

3/4 cup rice flour
scant 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon chicken powder
1/2 cup water mix with 1 teaspoon baking soda 

Dry coating : 1 cup rice flour

*  Place garlic , chilli(es) and coriander roots  in a mortar and grind to a paste . Mix this paste with the fish sauce , sugar , lime juice and pepper . Add wings and stir to combine . Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours , mixing occasionally . 

* Take out chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking .  

* Whisk batter ingredients together , the batter will be thin . Drop each piece of wings into the batter ( no need to wipe off marinade ) and coat battered chicken with rice flour , shake off excess flour . Lay each piece in a baking sheet to dry out , 15-20 minutes , before frying . 

* Meanwhile , heat oil , when oil is hot , drop each wings gently . Cook in batches ( but not too many at the same time ; this will lower the oil's temperature and will result in soggy coating ) until wings are cooked through . When all wings are done , turn up heat and gently drop the wings to the oil , again in batches , until crisp and golden brown , drain on paper towel . Serve hot with either Thai fish sauce or a drizzle of fresh lime juice .