Chinese take-out fried chicken wings are just the same as regular old fried chicken, right?
Wrong. This fried chicken wings recipe is special.
I remember my father used to make a tray full of wings piled high each day at our restaurant and it was never written down but rest assured that this special deep fried chicken wings recipe was in his head and he could make them in his sleep if he had to.
They were pre-fried in the morning and re-fried to order throughout the day, and those mountains would turn into molehills real fast during the lunch, dinner and late night rush hours. Once a week, at the end of the night, we would toss a few into the fryer and serve them with our dinner. No matter what we were having, they were always a favorite.
DO I HAVE TO FRY CHICKEN WINGS TWICE?
These chicken wings are best when they are fried twice. When frying for the first time, the chicken coating will lose its crispiness quickly because of the juicy chicken. It’s best to let them rest for a period after the first fry to let the juices settle back inside the chicken wing.
Once they are cooled but still warm, you can return them to the fryer for a second fry so they get nice and crispy on the outside. The length of time for the second frying depends upon if you refry when they are still warm, allow them to cool completely, or if you have refrigerated them and allowed them to come up to room temperature. The second fry really makes a difference and trust me, all Chinese takeout restaurants follow this practice.