Christine Ha’s Sticky Chicken Wings
When Christine Ha won Season 3 of Fox’s “MasterChef,” she became an international culinary sensation — a blind cook who bested all other competitors in reality television’s most intense food competition. It also endeared her to the city she calls home. The secondgeneration Vietnamese American went on to write a cookbook and eventually realize her dream of a restaurant, a Vietnamese gastropub that she dubbed The Blind Goat, which opened in
2019 in Bravery Chef Hall.
Xin Chao, her second restaurant (and her first standalone venture), is a collaboration with chef Tony J. Nguyen of Saigon House. Together they are interpreting a modern Vietnamese menu with new spins on dishes they grew up eating.
Ha’s sticky wings remain a menu favorite at The Blind Goat.
CHICKEN MARINADE
½ cup fish sauce (recipe follows)
½ cup granulated sugar
5 garlic cloves, minced Zest of
½ lime
3 pounds chicken wings, cut into separate flaps and drumettes (reserve tips for later use, such as stock)
1 cup cornstarch
Oil for frying
SAUCE
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Zest of ½ lime
3 Thai red chile peppers, or more to taste, finely chipped
4 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons mint, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
Marinate chicken: In a large bowl, stir together fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lime zest and enough water to cover; toss
with chicken to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours, flipping once halfway through.
Par-fry wings: In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from the marinade, coat with cornstarch and fry for 4 minutes. Drain on wire racks placed over paper towels or baking sheets to catch oil drippings.
Make sauce: In a medium saucepan overmedium-low heat, combine garlic, brown sugar, ketchup, fish sauce, lime zest and chile peppers. Heat until thickened, approximately 8 to 10minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and mint.
Refry wings: Reheat oil to 350 degrees. Fry wings for 4 more minutes. Drain on wire racks. Toss with sauce before serving.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
From Christine Ha, The Blind Goat