Cooking Up Memories- Oriental Chicken Wings #Recipe #GreatMealIdeas

It’s the Holiday Season and Christmas Parties are just around the corner!

With Christmas just a few short weeks away, I thought I’d share a family favorite recipe with you today-Oriental Chicken Wings

When I went into the restaurant business in 2001- January 1st :)- I had no concept of what it would entail. I’d been a waitress- server as they’re called these days- for most of my career, so I had a good idea of the day-to-day work, but it turned out that’s just the tip of a very slippery iceberg!

My plan (and you know what they say about plans) was to continue serving while the previous owner, a long-time family friend, would stay on in her capacity as a cook. This worked fine for the first two months, then the doctor told her she had to get off her feet (too many years on cement floors destroyed her knees) and I was suddenly on my own.

I had two options; try to find a fitting replacement I could afford in our town of seven thousand, or take on the job myself.

Now you have to understand something; I was previously known as the KD (Kraft Dinner) queen, I kid you not. I had a basic knowledge of cooking, enough to keep my family alive, and that was all. And little or no interest in learning. But… I had no choice.

Stubbornness, will power and a hunger to succeed got me through those early days, along with the support of my mother, who taught me how to make killer soups. 🙂

 I had the restaurant for thirteen, mostly happy, years and if there’s one thing I learned, it’s to go after your dreams- you never know if you’ll succeed if you don’t try!

Okay, on to the recipe. This was a favorite at the BlueJay (my place) and will be a hit at your next holiday function.

Oriental Chicken Wings

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings (either whole or split wing- I use whole)

3/4 cup soya sauce

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp garlic salt

9×13 pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add wings to pan and set aside. In small bowl mix soya sauce, sugar, water, ginger and garlic until well blended. Carefully pour over wings. Use a serving spoon to turn wings over in mixture to coat both sides, then set uncovered in oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour remove wings and turn them in pan to cook on other side, then return to oven for approx 1/2 hour longer (should be a rich, dark brown when done)

Now you can start the rice.

Cool Tip:

When cooking rice expect it to double its size. I vary between long grain white rice and some really nice multi-grain blends.

Rather than measuring everything out I use a medium heavy duty steel pot. Add approx. 1 inch of rice to the bottom, then place your index finger on top of rice, nail down like you’re pointing. Add cool water up to the first knuckle of your finger:

Bring water to a boil, then cover with lid and simmer on low for half an hour, but DON’T lift the lid! 

Your dinner is ready- enjoy 🙂