If you take the classic American chicken wing to Europe, you encounter resistance to messy finger-eating, deep frying & overwhelming spicy cayenne pepper. The preparation of this recipe allows the bone to act as a toothpick (no mess), allows for oven cooking (with crispiness) and uses a more universally accepted version of a sweet / sour sauce.
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<br>For each appetizer portion:
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<br>- 3 chicken wing drumettes<br>- 1 small garlic clove
<br>- 1 pinch of minced fresh ginger
<br>- 1 tablespoon of honey
<br>- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
<br>- 1 teaspoon of corn starch
<br>- 5 tablespoons water
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Using a sharp knife, sever the meat at the thin end of the drumettes, right down to the bone.
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<br>After cutting the meat free, use the blunt end of the knife to press the meat and skin firmly down toward the "fat" end.
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<br>The drumettes should now be able to stand on their "fat" ends.
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<br>Place the drumettes on a baking sheet (or on an elevated grilling rack) and bake at 375 °F (190 °C) until crisp (30 - 45 min).
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<br>Transfer the wings to a baking dish (a smaller dish that will contain the sauce well).
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<br>Mix the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and honey with about 2 tablespoons of water per portion. Adjust to taste and then bring to a boil.
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<br>Mix the corn starch with 3 additional tablespoons of warm water. Stir into the boiling sauce mixture to activate the corn starch thickener.
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<br>Pour the mixture over the drumettes, trying not to coat the ends of exposed bone so that they won't be so messy to eat.<br>
<br>Cook for another 15-20 minutes in the oven. The sauce should bubble and the juices of the chicken should eventually run clear.
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<br>Serve hot (accentuates saltiness) or cold (accentuates sweetness), depending on your preference.
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<br>Options: adding crushed red pepper to the honey sauce, using rosemary instead of ginger, adding some brown sugar for more sweetening, or adding lime juice for more sourness.