Miss Hay’s Stuffed Chicken Wings

New Orleans is home to a vibrant Vietnamese community that has always played a big role in the shrimping and seafood industry here. These Vietnamese-style wings are a mainstay dish that’s on the menu at my restaurant NOLA – named after Miss Hay, one of my long-time cooks who has worked with me for over 19 years. She comes in early and makes these from scratch every morning – she’s the only one who’s allowed to make them! Miss Hay’s Stuffed Chicken Wings will always be a guest favourite.

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup celery heart finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped raw shrimp

2 cups finely chopped white onions

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 ounces Wood ear Black Mushrooms, chopped

1 pound ground pork

salt and pepper, to taste

fish sauce, to taste

12-18 chicken wings

3 tablespoons Emeril’s Creole Seasoning

1 1/2 cups flour

thinly sliced lettuce, for serving

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Hoisin Dipping Sauce (for serving), recipe follows

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 ºF.

In a mixing bowl, combine the green onions, celery, sugar, shrimp, white onions, cilantro, mushrooms and pork together. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, and fish sauce. Slice the wing along the bone in order to leave the skin and meat attached. Sever the first joint of the chicken wing and remove the bones. Holding tight to keep the joint intact, slide the knife along the underside of the skin and separate all the way to the joint. Season each chicken wing inside and out with Creole seasoning. Roll back the skin, remove the bones and cup the edges of the skin to begin stuffing the forcemeat into the cavity. Stuff the entire section of the skin and fold the leftover meat and skin over the top to “close” the wing. Place the wings on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the wings from the oven and cool completely. Season the flour with Creole seasoning. Dredge the wings in seasoned flour.

Preheat the fryer.

Carefully lay the wings in the hot oil and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Fry the wings in batches. Remove and drain on a paper towels. Season with Creole seasoning. Arrange the wings on top of the lettuce and drizzle with Hoisin Dipping Sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts and parsley.

Serve warm.

Emeril’s Creole Seasoning

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 quart hoisin sauce

2 cups water

juice of two small limes

2 tablespoons minced garlic

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, puree the jalapenos with the sugar. Add the hoisin sauce, water, and lime juice. Add the minced garlic. Puree until fully incorporated. Pour into a 2 quart container. Allow the sauce to sit for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to allow the sugar to dissolve. Serve with the Stuffed Wings.