San Francisco's San Tung Chicken Wings: National Chicken Wing Day

San Francisco's famous San Tung Dry Fried Chicken Wings creates lines out the door in San Francisco at the San Tung restaurant.Photo bywww.foodiswhyimbroke.com website

Monday, July 29, 2024, is National Chicken Wing Day, and some restaurants are celebrating it with special deals. With so many types of wings, there should be many chicken restaurants selling a lot of wings today.

Until chicken wings became popular, drumsticks and wings were very inexpensive and were considered almost a throwaway food. Most liked to use them in stocks or soups. In the 1960s, several different establishments in upstate New York, especially Buffalo, stated that they made them first, but whatever the situation, they became very popular, especially in bars and in small restaurants.

Many regions in the United States have taken the mantel to a next level. The San Tung restaurant on Irving St. in San Francisco is the king of chicken wings in California. The popular San Francisco restaurant serves their famous San Tung chicken wings. They are sticky, sweet, and spicy, and the Asian-influenced sauce is the game changer that is a go-to for many locals and tourists alike. They are dry-fried, and the crispy chicken topped with the delicious caramel-like sauce is an incredible combination of flavors and textures. If you can't visit the restaurant, here is a good recipe to tide you over.

San Francisco Dry Fried San Tung Chicken Wings:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. chicken wings (rinsed and patted dry)

-1 1/2 c potato starch (mixed with salt and pepper)

-6 cloves minced garlic

1 stalk finely chopped green onions

1 tablespoon minced ginger

-3 tbsp brown sugar

-6 dried red chili peppers (remove seeds)

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil.

4 cups vegetable/cooking oil

Recipe:

1. Cover each wing thoroughly with potato starch or corn starch if you don't have it.

2. Remove excess starch from each wing and let it rest for 20 min.

3. In a medium pan on medium-high heat, sauté garlic in olive oil for 1 minute.

4. Add chili peppers and minced ginger and stir for 1 minute (watch for burning!)

5. When ginger is fully cooked, turn off heat and mix in 1/4 c soy sauce and 1/2 c corn syrup OR honey (honey will make it sweeter).

6. Mix in 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or more if you prefer sweeter).

7. Increase heat to medium and add green onions and allow to boil for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens to preferred consistency.

8. Turn off heat.

9. In a separate medium pan, heat 4 cups vegetable oil on medium-high heat.

10. Deep fry wings until golden brown (about 14 min) and remove excess oil by placing onto paper towel.

11. Turn heat on brown sauce to medium (add water to consistency preference) and add chicken wings.

12. Mix sauce and wings together (avoid overcrowding).

13. Be sure to save enough sauce to cover all wings.

14. Serve hot and enjoy!