Curry Braised Chicken Wings

Growing up, my grandmother made a version of braised wings for nearly every dinner. Her version uses a soybean paste sauce that is spiked with loads of ginger. For me, the best part of this dish was the way the sauce stuck to my fingers. The natural collagen in the skin of the wings created an unctuous sauce that was unlike any I had before. My sister and I would frequently plow through a whole plate of these while savoring every last drop of sauce for our rice. We’d always save the wing tips for my grandmother because she loved to suck the sticky skin from the bones. This is a version of that dish with something more commonly found in grocery stores these days - Japanese curry roux blocks.

Japanese curry roux blocks are made from butter, flour, and a combination of spices, including Japanese curry powder which tends to be a lot more mild than your standard Indian curry powder. Additional spices in the curry roux mix may include cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. The roux blocks are pressed into molds, making it easier to toss in a few blocks to make a near instant curry on the stovetop. My mom first introduced me to these little gems for a quick weeknight meal.

If you don’t have wings on hand, you can absolutely make this dish with skin-on chicken thighs. It really isn’t the same if you choose to use something like a boneless, skinless chicken breast because the collagen from the skin reinforces the sauce beautifully. For my vegetarian or vegan friends, consider using chunks of roasted butternut squash or a vegetable medley with squash, zucchini and mushrooms.

Ingredients for the Curry Braised Chicken Wings

• 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided

• 4 lbs chicken wings, flats and drumettes separated

• 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder, divided

• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce, divided

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2-inch knob of ginger, minced

• 2 packs of curry roux, diced (7.8 oz or 12 servings of Golden Curry - Medium Hot)

• 5 cups chicken stock, low sodium

• 2 tablespoons honey

• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Serves approximately 6-8 people

Directions for the Curry Braised Chicken Wings

1. In a bowl, cover the wings in a tablespoon of curry powder and soy sauce. Toss to evenly distribute. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least one hour if not overnight.

2. Bring a large Dutch oven or other deep, wide pan with two tablespoons of canola oil up to medium high heat. Brown the chicken wings on all sides until they are brown. They do not need to be fully cooked through. You may need to do this in batched depending on the size of your chicken wings. Once they are all browned, remove and set aside.

3. Add the remaining canola oil to your pot over medium high heat. Sauté your onions, ginger, and garlic in the Dutch oven for five minutes or until slightly translucent. Then, add in the remaining curry powder and soy sauce and give it another toss. Finally, deglaze the pan with the chicken stock before adding in the diced pieces of curry roux block and honey. Bring that up to a boil while continuing to stir so the block pieces dissolve completely.

4. Return the browned chicken wings to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot 75% of the way with a lid and cook for 35-45 minutes or until the meat begins to pull from the bone.

5. Once ready, plate over a bowl of cooked white rice, top with scallions and serve!