Chinese New Year Fare: Boxing Chicken

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Boxing Chicken

Boxing Day is long gone. And Chinese New Year is around the corner.

Boxing Chicken is not exactly a Nyonya recipe, but it has been around for ages. It was very popular in the 70’s and 80’s, and then it was not seen again for a long time.

I suppose the name Boxing Chicken refers to the shape of the chicken wings. The wings are jointed and the meat scrapped to one end so that it looks like a big hand in a boxing glove  – hence the name.

It is a perfect finger food, with ‘a handle’ to hold and the meat to savour on the end, like a drum stick. It is in fact a drummet,  and the middle part of the wing can also be used and shaped the same way. It is delicious in most marinades as the meat is juicy and tender. The only drawback is that it takes a while to prepare the wings. However, it gets easier with practice.

Quick Info

Makes:           24 to 28 pcs
Difficulty:      moderate
Cost:                £
Time:              30 mins to prepare, 4hrs / overnight to marinade
10 minutes to fry
Pro points:
Per recipe:
Per serving: You wouldn’t want to know

Ingredients

I Kg            Fresh chicken wings

Marinade
2 tbsp       5-spice powder
4 tbsp       Light soy sauce
1 tsp          Sesame oil
3 tbsp       Sugar
3 tbsp       Lea & Perrin sauce
½ tsp        White pepper powder
4 tbsp       Water

To pound or blitz in food processor:
2                Shallots
5cm          Knob ginger
2 cloves  Garlic

200g       Rice flour for dusting ( you need not use all)
Oil for deep fat frying.

Method

Prepare the drummets

1. Remove remnants of feathers from the wings and cut at the joints. You should have 2 joints and a tip. Discard the tips or use them to make chicken stock.
2. Take the drummet (the fatter one) and with a sharp knife slit around the circumference of the smaller end. Stand with the fatter end on the chopping board. Use the knife to push down the skin and meat, down towards the other end. Use a scrapping motion and scrap close to the bone downwards.
3. When the meat reaches the end, grasp the flesh end in your palm, clench your fist and pull the bone through the gap between your thumb and your first finger. Make sure that the meat is turned inside out at the end. You will get a nice bulb of meat at the end of the bone. Shape it to a nice mount and set aside.

Prepare the 2nd joint.

1. The 2nd joint is smaller and has less meat and it has 2 bones,
2. Stand the joint with the larger end on the chopping board
3. With a sharp knife, cut around the circumference of the smaller end. Like before, scrap the meat and skin downwards towards the end.
4. ¾ way down, place the joint on the board and cut through the tendons holding the 2 bones together. Remove the smaller bone.
5. Continue to push the meat down and pull it through you palm (like before) to get a nice bulb of meat.
6. Repeat until you finish all the joints

To marinade:

1. Mix all the ingredients together except the rice flour.
2. Marinade the chicken wings for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To fry

1. Heat cooking oil on medium heat in a pan or wok until a small piece of the chicken marinade or meat (or a small piece of bread) floats up when added to the oil. (Around 180C)
2. Dust the chicken pieces lightly with the rice flour.
3. Carefully place a few pieces of the chicken in the hot oil.
4. Fry until lightly browned and cooked, turning over at least once.
5. Drain and place on paper towel.

To Serve

1. Serve with Chilli sauce of your choice.

I prefer Lingam Chilli sauce, which is not as sweet as the Thai sweet chilli sauce.
Enjoy!!

Enjoy!

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Many Thanks and Gon Xi Fa Cai 

Penang Lassie