Pok Pok (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)

POK POK WINGS (VIETNAMESE FISH SAUCE WINGS)

When you eat at Andy Ricker’s restaurant, you’re likely to encounter his signature dish: Vietnamese-style fish sauce wings. Delicious and addicting Pok Pok Wings that you can make at home.

There is a growing restaurant empire called Pok Pok in the United States, which gets its name from the rhythmic pounding of a pestle on the mortar when creating Som Tam (Thai green papaya salad).

Portland, Oregon-based Pok Pok has since grown to New York City, the culinary center of America, after a small beginning in Portland in 2012.

According to acclaimed culinary writer Francis Lam’s recent New York Times article, Andy Ricker’s arrival in New York was like “the Beatles were about to touch down at Kennedy” because of his description of Andy Ricker’s entrance.

In the gourmet world, Pok Pok wings are a household name; in fact, they are the one commodity that has propelled the company’s growth.

Both the old Pok Pok and the brand-new Pok Pok New York have eluded me thus far. But I’ve always wanted to try these renowned wings, so I’ll have to wait.

Those Pok Pok wings, according to my friend Brian L, a Portlander and foodie, are irresistible. Any of the Pok Pok restaurants would be nice, but I have to give it a shot if I can’t.

Pok Pok wings dubbed “Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings” are the creation of a Vietnamese chef. It was easy to put together, so I went out and got the ingredients, marinated the wings, fried them, and then drizzled them with the sauce to finish them off.

Pok Pok has finally made it to Orange County.

Since I haven’t experienced the original Pok Pok wings, I have no idea how much better they are than my reimagined rendition. It’s a little salty yet sweet at the same time, with a beautiful garlicky scent and flavor coming from the deep-fried garlic. I was enamored with the idea.

The fish sauce marinade, which is re-used as a glaze and coated with the chicken wings before serving, was the only thing I was unsure about. Even if the sauce is boiling, there is truly no hygienic problem, it still bothered me.

In my Pok Pok wings recipe, I’ve included an alternate way for cooking the wings.

Each serving of this recipe contains only 368 calories.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 crushed and 3 minced cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 ½ pounds of chicken wings
• ¼ cup of superfine sugar
• ¼ cup of fish sauce
• 1/3 cup of corn starch
• 1 tablespoon of chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together the fish sauce, sugar, and minced garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Toss in the wings and coat with the marinade before serving. Toss the wings in the fridge for three hours, turning them over every half hour or so.
2. In a small skillet, heat the two tablespoons of oil. Add the minced garlic and simmer for 3 minutes on medium heat. Using a paper towel, remove the excess liquid.
3. 2 inches of oil should be heated to 350°F (176°C) in a big pot. On paper towels, remove the wings from the marinade and pat them dry.
4. Add the wings to a shallow bowl of cornstarch and toss to coat. Cook the wings in batches for about 10 minutes until they are brown and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl after draining on paper towels.
5. Using a medium-sized saucepan, bring the marinade to a simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Toss the wings in the air with a strained stance. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, mint, and fried garlic.