Swiss Wings (瑞士雞翼)
A glossy Hong Kong cha chaan teng classic where whole chicken wings are gently poached, then simmered in a sweet, savory Swiss sauce until silky and deeply colored.
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4 portions
Swiss Wings are one of the most beloved dishes to come out of Hong Kong's cha chaan teng cafe culture, and the story behind the name is half the fun. There is nothing Swiss about them at all. The most repeated tale says a Western diner asked a Cantonese waiter what the sweet soy chicken was, and the waiter's reply of sweet wing was misheard as Swiss wing, and the name stuck. The wings themselves are not battered, not crispy, and not spicy. They are first blanched with ginger and spring onion, shocked in ice water to firm the skin, then braised low and slow in a sauce built from light soy, dark soy, and rock sugar. Rock sugar is the trick that gives the finished wings their lacquered, glossy sheen and that signature sweet, mellow flavor. Aromatics like star anise, cinnamon, and a touch of Shaoxing wine round it out, and the same sauce is famously reused for noodles, eggs, and tofu.
Ingredients
Ingredients
1 kg chicken wings whole, about 16 to 18, wingette and drumette kept connected
Blanching
5 slice ginger
3 piece spring onion cut into 2 inch pieces
0 ice cubes for the ice bath, to firm up the skin
Swiss sauce
500 ml water
125 ml light soy sauce
60 ml dark soy sauce for deep color
80 g rock sugar gives the glossy sheen; adjust to taste
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
3 slice ginger
3 piece star anise
1 piece cinnamon stick (optional)
2 piece bay leaf (optional)
