Cánh Gà Chiên Xì Dầu/Nước Tương - Cambodian Chicken

Difficulty: Medium

I was introduced to cánh gà chiên xì dầu in college by my roommates. We called it Cambodian chicken because the girl that introduced it to us was Khmer Krom.  Cánh gà chiên nước tương is another name for the dish.  Xì dầu is Cantonese and nước tương is Vietnamese for soy sauce. Who knew I spoke some Cantonese.

I am going to share the version I learned in college.  But I will also share the link for the recipe from a true Khmer Krom.

10 whole wings
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sambal oelek
Oil

Cut wings at the joint.  Wash and drain well.  In a large saucepan, heat up some oil and fry the wing portions. It should take about 12 minutes for it to be cook through, about 15 minutes to be crispy.  When done, place the wings on some paper towels to remove any excess oil.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and sambal oelek.  Toss the wings in the sauce.  Allow for the wings to sit in the sauce for about 5 minutes before serving.

Cánh Gà Nướng Xả - Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

The smell of lemongrass brings me back to my childhood on the Mississippi gulf coast.  The smell of the lemongrass when it hits the heat of a grill makes my mouth waters.  When I went to Vietnam, I remember the smell of it in the air as I drove down Hwy 1.  There is no other seasoning that comes close to the lemony, grassy smell.  My favorite dish using lemongrass is the grilled wings.

10 wings, cut into two pieces or three and disgarding the tips
1-2 stalks of lemongrass mince white parts only or 3 Tbsp prepared lemongrass from the freezer section
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 medium shallot
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp of neutral oil
2 tsp of brown sugar
1-2 Thai bird chili, more or less depending on how hot you like

Wash and cut your chicken wings in sections as desired. Pat wings dry.  In a large bowl or zip top bag, add all your ingredients.  Place the wings into marinade and allow to marinade for at lease 2 hours or overnight.

Heat up grill until about 400-degrees on a gas grill or hold your hand over a charcoal grill for no more than 3 seconds.  Grill for about 10-12 mins on each side.  It maybe shorter, depending on how hot the grill gets. You want to look for shrinkage at where the joints are at.

This dish goes great with a papaya salad and some rice.

My lunch for 3.