Thai-style Stuffed Chicken Wings

I like to eat Thai-style Stuffed Chicken Wings very much, but seldom order it at Thai restaurants as the HB says that he doesn't like how those taste.

No choice, I have to make it myself then! Actually it's a very simple dish, the tedious part is removing the bones from the mid-joint wings :p Seriously have to get the hands dirty and all, to the point of squishy squashy -_- Or maybe coz my knife skills is not good enough.

Anyways, "de-boning" the chicken wings aside, the stuffing is very straightforward. Some recipes choose to remove all the chicken meat (leaving the skin only), chop up the meat with ingredients like prawns, black fungus/mushroom, water chestnut etc, and stuff the mixture back to the wings.

For me, I chose to leave the chicken meat intact with the skin and use minced pork, along with prawns, water chestnut, garlic, cilantro root and seasonings for the stuffing. In this way, I get to enjoy different textures and tastes :)

As for cooking method, I tried 2 ways. One is recommended by a Thai cookbook, first steam the stuffed wings till cooked, then deep fry till golden brown. And secondly, using air-fryer and glazing with sauce.

I find the steam/deepfried one drier but more fragrant due to the deep-frying process. As for the airfried/glazed one, it's more juicy and succulent. Our family prefer the latter.

Ingredients for stuffing include minced pork, prawn, garlic, cilantro root, water chestnut, 5-spice powder, pepper, sugar, cooking oil, egg, salt, corn starch, and of course deboned mid-joint wings.

This is how the wings look like after stuffing.

Here's a short video clip of how I deboned the mid-joint and do the stuffing. Pardon my poor knife skills and videography skills :p

Thai-style Stuffed Chicken Wings
(reference from The Best of Thai Home Cooking by Forest Leong)
(makes 9 pieces)

• 9 pcs chicken wing mid-joint

Marinate A

• 100g minced pork
• 3 prawns, roughly chopped
• 2 water chestnut, finely chopped
• 1 garlic, finely minced
• 1 cilantro root, finely minced
• 1 tbsp egg
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Pinch of 5-spice powder

Marinate B

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp hua tiao cooking wine
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

1. Debone the chicken wing mid-joint portion. Twist the mid-joint and wing tip to break up the bones. Insert a small knife into the mid-joint front and back to cut the meat, if need be use the fingers to ease the meat off the small bone and twist it out. Use the knife to scrape the meat away from the bigger bone and slowly twist/cut it out. Set aside.
2. Add all the ingredients (Marinate A) for the stuffing in a bowl and mix well.
3. Stuff the mixture into the mid-joint wing, about 1 tbsp per wing.
4. Combine the ingredients for Marinate B and pour the marinate over the stuffed chicken wings. Marinate the wings for 4hrs or overnight.
5. Before cooking, bring the wings back to room temperature. 
6. Drain the marinate B into a sauce pot, bring to boil and set aside to use as glaze. Alternatively make a new batch of glaze.
7. Place the wings inside the air-fryer, glaze on one side, air-fry for 6-8 mins at 160 degree celsius, turn over, glaze again, air-fry for 2-3 mins, then turn up heat to 180 degree celsius, air-fry for another 3-5 mins, glazing and turning as necessary, till wings are golden brown.
8. Best serve warm, on its own or with thai sweet chilli sauce.

Note:
*Steam/deep-fry: steam the stuffed wings for 10-12 mins. Drain and pat dry, deep fry in very hot oil till golden brown and crispy.
*Baking: haven't test it, should be the same as air-fryer.

This is totally yummy! The seasoning is on the lighter side, as my family prefer it this way. Feel free to add more seasonings. It's great to eat it on its own or with some thai sweet chilli!

The HB gave thumbs up, this taste is what he preferred over the restaurants' ones. Yay!

This recipe is certainly a keeper for me, that is if I have the mood and time to debone the midjoint wings :p