Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings for a Game Day Entertaining #SundaySupper with Gallo Family Vineyards

Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings

I alluded to my love for football about a year ago with a quick pasta dish. I will further specify that I grew up a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, so I laughed when I read the theme for this week's #SundaySupper event with Gallo Family Vineyards, Game Day Entertaining and Pairings, because fans of my team used to have a reputation of being soft (i.e. the wine and cheese crowd) which contrasted with the fans of the other team across the San Francisco Bay. (On a side note, I was relieved when San Francisco lost to Seattle because I don't think Kaepernick would have been able to keep up with Manning, but that's an entirely different discussion.)

If you're unfamiliar with Gallo Family Vineyards, they have a store locator where you can find their wines, and can be found on facebook, twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They also have a fun crest creator which you can customize. I did one myself you can see below. In the interest of full disclosure, compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

GFV also sponsored a previous #SundaySupper event last month. During the twitter chat that week, a portion of the discussion centered around Moscato, which I had never tried. I was intrigued so when I was selected to participate in this week's event, I selected their white Moscato to use for my dish, however I hadn't realized it was a sweet wine when I did. I prefer dry wines such as chardonnays and cabernets because I usually pair them with savory dishes if I'm enjoying a glass with dinner or cook with them. I'm not really a dessert guy and can't appreciate sweet cocktails so I did a google search for wine pairings and one suggestion for Moscato was Chinese food. Many spicy dishes in their cuisine pair well with the sweet wine.

The Challenge

Pair a sweet wine with a spicy appetizer.

The Source

I adapted a chicken wings dish on Cooking Channel's website I thought would make for great game day entertaining.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed, then cut at the joint
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, dry toasted until fragrant
5 dried red chiles, crushed
1 bunch scallion greens, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 star anise
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 12-fluid ounce bottles ale beer
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup corn starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon chives, chopped fine (for garnish)

Method

1. Marinate the wings: Combine the wings, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice, Szechuan peppercorns, dried chiles, scallion greens and star anise in a resealable bag and toss until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Braise the wings: Empty the contents of the resealable bag into a large Dutch oven. Add to it the ale and rice vinegar. Bring the oven to a boil on the stovetop then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the wings are tender and the meat is almost falling off the bone, approximately 1 hour. Remove the wings onto a platter in a single layer and refrigerate until cold, reserving the braising fluid.

3. Fry the wings: Place enough vegetable oil in a large pot to reach a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches and heat to 375° Fahrenheit. Combine the corn starch and flour, then dredge each wing into the mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry the chicken, in batches if necessary, in the oil until deep brown and crisp, approximately 3 minutes, taking care to not overcrowd the pot. Remove the wings with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

4. Finish the dish: While the wings are frying, place the braising fluid over medium heat and reduce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain out and discard the solids, then return the braising fluid to the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the fluid into the bowl with the chicken and toss until well coated. Serve immediately garnished with the chives and accompanied by Moscato.

Successful?

I need to confess that I didn't have time to marinate the wings overnight so the spicy flavors were muted, which suits me well since I dislike strong spicy dishes. The spice was just enough to complement the sweet flavor of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato. Mrs. Stuntman also enjoyed this dish so much that these wings might make an encore appearance on Super Bowl Sunday.

Other Sunday Supper Participants

And finally, please check out this week's other Sunday Supper contributors:

• Bacon Wrapped Maple Scallops by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower "Wings" by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Bean and Chorizo Dip by Foxes Love Lemons
• Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Blue Cheese Burger Bites by Country Girl In The Village
• Chipotle Quinoa Fritters by Healthy. Delicious.
• Cilantro Lime Marinated Shrimp by Ruffles & Truffles
• Game Day Pepperoni Pizza Dip by Family Foodie
• Game Day Pulled Pork Nachos by girlichef
• Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Truffles by Chocolate Moosey
• Grilled Steak Sliders with Chimichurri Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
• Honey Dijon Glazed Wings by The Foodie Army Wife
• Honey Ham Barbecue by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip by The Dinner-Mom
• Korean-style Clams by kimchi MOM
• Sparkling Pomegranate Pinot Punch by Magnolia Days
• Spicy Sausage Rolls by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Spinach Balls by Shocklingly Delicious
• Spinach Lasagna Cups by Alida's Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Skins by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

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