Gochujang Chicken Wings

HELLO FROM THE SUNNY LOS ANGELES!

Ever since I started my Master’s degree at Newfoundland in 2017, then moving to LA for my doctorate studies last August, I find it harder and harder to find time to go on social media, let alone updating my website. Every time I made something Instagram- or blog-worthy, I kept telling myself, I will blog that tomorrow, next week, after this concert, after that big service at church… Part of this was tiredness and procrastination, and part of it was also me feeling: I don’t have anything interesting to share!

The longer I stayed away from social media, I the more I felt that way until I scrolled through my past Instagram posts recently. I realized that my life back in Guelph wasn’t necessarily any more interesting. I think I just had more active interest in finding, celebrating, documenting and sharing the little joys in my life. I must say, I miss the feeling of sharing my joys with friends through social media. After all, shared joy is a double joy!

I went to Food4Less (my new No Frills) last week and wings were on sales (for those of you who know me, I have no self-control to whatever that is on sales in grocery stores! ><), so I decided to make some wings tossed in my favourite gochujang sauce!

As I was plating the wings and making it look fancy, I thought… why don’t I blog this? And here I am, exactly 30 months since my last blog post and after staying at home for more than a week not going anywhere because of the California Stay-At-Home Order, here I am, staging and photographing my food very clumsily and relearning my way around Squarespace to write this post.

GOCHUJANG CHICKEN WINGS // 2 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

Wings / marinate

- 20 wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated (more if you're hungry!)
- agak-agak amount of black pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, finely chopped garlic and ginger for marinate

Sauce

- 3 tablespoon of gochujang paste
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar (equal amount of sugar to gochujang, or more if you prefer a sweeter glaze)
- 3 tablespoon of sake wine (OR any cooking wine)
- agak agak amount of soy sauce (adjust according to the saltiness of the gochujang you have)
- 1 tablespoon of fats from the wings
- a small handful of toasted sesame seeds
- two stalks of green onion

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°.

Marinate the wings in soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper vegetable oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes (or as little as 5 minutes if you are in a hurry).

Spread out the wings on a large baking sheet (preferably on a rimmed baking sheet). Bake the wings until cooked-through and crispy. It takes about 35 to 40 minutes. If you impatient (me!), you can opt for pan frying the wings. It works just as fine!

In a big wok or pan over medium heat, add in a tablespoon of chicken fats from the baked wings (you can also use vegetable oil, but I find chicken fats rendered from the wings are super flavourful!), gochujang paste, sugar, sake wine and soy sauce. Cook the sauce until it becomes thick and glossy. Taste the sauce as it cooks. Follow your heart, adjust the flavours to your preference!

Toss the wings into the sauce. Garnish the wings with toasted sesame seed and chopped green onions.

Mmmm-mmm, now that’s some simple joy in my life!