Wingman Signature Wings

Jamie

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This is part of the Wingman Archives, where I’m sharing all the recipes from our chicken wing stall in Saigon.

This is the big one. Every wing we ever served started here. It’s a three day process and you’ll need a sous vide machine plus either a deep fryer or air fryer to finish them off. I know that sounds like a lot, but most of the time is just waiting. The actual hands-on work is maybe 30 minutes across the whole thing.

The method is clean, rinse, brine overnight, sous vide, air dry overnight in the fridge, then fry to order. Each step builds on the last. Skip one and you’ll notice. The vinegar rinse pulls out any funk, the brine seasons all the way through, the sous vide gets them fully cooked and juicy, and the overnight air dry in the fridge is what gives you that crispy skin when they hit the oil.

Worth it. Every time.

Ingredients

  • 5 kg chicken wings
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • White vinegar

Cleaning and preparation

If you’re buying chicken from a supermarket in a country with high food safety standards like Australia or Germany, you can skip this step entirely and go straight to brining. In Vietnam our chicken was butchered the same day it was delivered and shipped unrefrigerated, so it wasn’t always clean. It would usually arrive with stray feathers and other butchering residue. The vinegar soak was non-negotiable for us.

  1. Rinse the chicken under cold water until it runs as clear as possible.
  2. Separate each wing at the joint between the drumette and the flat.
  3. Add the chicken to a bowl and cover completely with cold water.
  4. Add 15 ml of white vinegar per 1 kg of chicken and mix through.
  5. Soak for exactly 5 minutes.
  6. Drain, then rinse thoroughly again under cold water.

Notes: Do not soak for more than 5 minutes. All rinsing should be done with cold water.

Brining

  1. Add the chicken to a bowl.
  2. Add 17 grams of salt per 1 kg of chicken.
  3. Add 5 grams of pepper per 1 kg of chicken.
  4. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated.
  5. Pack into vacuum sealed bags and write the date on each bag.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, up to 2 days.

Notes: Ensure that the wings are in a single layer and there is no overlap. Make sure the bags you use will fit in your sous vide container.

Sous vide

  1. Fill your sous vide container with enough water to fully submerge the bags.
  2. Set the temperature to 72.5°C.
  3. Take the chicken out of the fridge while the water heats up to bring it closer to room temperature.
  4. Once the water has reached temperature, submerge all bags. Use a rack or grill to keep them fully under the water.
  5. Cook for 2 hours.
  6. Remove the bags, open and drain ready for air drying.

Notes: Cook no more than 5 kg at a time. The bags must stay fully submerged throughout.

Air drying

  1. Remove the chicken from the bags and drain all excess liquid.
  2. Pat dry on both sides with paper towel.
  3. Place on racks and put in the fridge uncovered overnight.
  4. After drying, transfer to an airtight container or vacuum seal bags and label with the date.

Notes: Don’t leave the chicken on the racks for more than 24 hours. Work in batches of 2 to 3 kg at a time if you need to. You can leave them in the sous vide bags sealed.

Cooking

Deep frying

Total cook time: 5 minutes

  1. Check your oil temperature with a thermometer. It needs to be between 175°C and 180°C before you drop anything in.
  2. Place up to 18 pieces into the basket at a time.
  3. Slowly lower the basket into the oil.
  4. After 30 seconds, lift the basket and shake briefly just above the oil, then lower back in.
  5. Fry for a further 4 minutes and 30 seconds, shaking the basket every 2 minutes so the wings don’t stick together.
  6. Once done, hang the basket for 30 seconds to drain.
  7. Toss in your sauce of choice until coated and warmed through.

Notes: Do not drop the wings in until the oil is up to temperature. Below 175°C and they’ll come out soggy.

Air frying

I haven’t tested this myself so treat it as a starting point. Because the wings are already fully cooked from the sous vide, you’re really just crisping the skin rather than cooking them through.

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 200°C.
  2. Place wings in a single layer, don’t overcrowd the basket.
  3. Cook for around 8 minutes, checking at the 6 minute mark.
  4. Toss in your sauce of choice until coated and warmed through.

Notes: Air fryer models vary quite a bit. Keep an eye on them the first time and adjust from there. If you give this a go, let me know in the comments how it turned out.

Saucing your wings

Take the wings straight from the fryer or air fryer basket and let them drain for 30 seconds, then drop them into a large mixing bowl. Pour some sauce over and toss immediately while they’re still hot. The heat helps the sauce grip the wing properly. Let them cool down first and you’ll get patchy coverage.

Any of the Wingman sauce recipes will work here or your own favourite wing sauce.