Edward Lee is a former Top Chef and Iron Chef contestant, Louisville restaurateur and Korean-food expert. Born in Brooklyn and raised by Korean immigrants, he spent time working in book publishing and running the acclaimed restaurant Clay before moving to Louisville to immerse himself in the culinary traditions of the South — which he has since married with his East Asian heritage. One of these remarkably delicious mashups is this recipe for Korean chicken wings, which are slow-roasted (or smoked) and lacquered with a sauce built around Korea’s wonderful fermented chili paste, gochujang. And to make it even more Southern to the core, he includes a classic Alabama white barbecue sauce for dipping. What a crucial move.
Ingredients
White BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup Duke's Mayonnaise (or your favorite brand)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Gochujang Wings
- 12 whole chicken wings
- 1/2 cup gochujang (Chung Jung One is a popular brand)
- 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Directions
For the white BBQ sauce:
- In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes. (Preferably overnight.)
For the gochujang wings:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Rinse wings and pat dry.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Set aside and allow salt to absorb for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make marinade by whisking together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Brush marinade onto the wings.
- Transfer wings to a rack placed on a sheet pan, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn heat up to 425°F.
- Take wings out of the oven and brush with another layer of marinade.
- Return to oven and cook for 12-15 minutes, until wings are nicely browned and cooked in the middle.
- Serve with white BBQ sauce.
Author's Note: Alternatively, if you have a smoker, smoke wings at 225°F for 1 hour. Remove from smoker and brush additional marinade onto the wings. Cook in a 425°F oven for 8-10 minutes until browned and crispy on the outside.
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