Material
- 2/3-inch sliced ginger
- ½ cup dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp. allspice
- 20-24 chicken wings (about 2½ pounds)
- 3 tbsp. Vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, roots trimmed and halved crosswise
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red finger or Fresno chile, halved lengthwise
- 3 oz. Rock or lump sugar or ¼ cup raw sugar
- 3 whole star anise
- 2 slices dried licorice root (optional)
- 1 (4-inch long) cinnamon stick or cinnamon stick
- ¼ tsp. Freshly ground white pepper (optional)
- ¼ tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup unflavored rice wine
- Thickly sliced cucumber (optional)
Production steps
- Mix half the ginger and 1/4 cup dark soy sauce. Place five spice powder in a medium bowl. Add chicken wings. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- Heat oil in a wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, scallions, garlic, chile, and remaining ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add rock sugar, star anise, licorice (if using), cinnamon, white pepper (if using), Sichuan peppercorns, and remaining 1 teaspoon. Stir the five spice powder evenly. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, remaining ¼ cup dark soy sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Remove wings from marinade; discard marinade. Add wings to wok and pour over wine. Stir gently and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Stir gently, then cover again and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and dark brown, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer wings to a plate.
- Pour pan liquid through fine-mesh sieve into small bowl; discard solids. Pour the strained liquid back into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until sauce thickly coats spoon, 10-12 minutes. Add the chicken wings back to the sauce and toss to combine. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Serve with cucumber, if using.
