Black Garlic Soy Treacle Chicken Wings with Shallot
Black garlic, soy sauce and treacle create a dark, glossy glaze for BBQ chicken wings, while crisp shallot adds texture at the end. This is the savoury, umami-rich wing in the collection.
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1.2 kg chicken wings split into flats and drumettes
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp Chinese five spice
- ½ tsp garlic granules
Black Garlic Soy Treacle Glaze
- 6 black garlic cloves
- 45 ml light soy sauce
- 25 ml dark soy sauce
- 35 g black treacle
- 25 g runny honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp chilli oil or ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 10 g fresh ginger finely grated
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp water
Crisp Shallot Finish
- 2 banana shallots thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp plain flour or cornflour
- 150 ml neutral oil for shallow frying
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 spring onion finely sliced
Instructions
Season and Dry the Wings
- Pat the wings dry with kitchen paper. Toss them with neutral oil, salt, baking powder, white pepper, five spice and garlic granules.
- Set them on a rack and chill uncovered for 45 minutes. This short drying time helps the skin tighten before the dark glaze goes anywhere near it.
Make the Crisp Shallots
- Toss the sliced shallots with flour or cornflour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Fry the shallots in batches for 2 to 4 minutes until golden. Lift onto kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt. They’ll crisp more as they cool.
Build the Black Garlic Glaze
- Mash the black garlic cloves into a paste. Put them into a small saucepan with light soy, dark soy, treacle, honey, rice vinegar, chilli oil, ginger, sesame oil and water.
- Warm gently for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking until smooth. Don’t boil hard. The glaze should look dark, glossy and brushable.
BBQ the Wings Indirectly
- Set up the BBQ for two-zone cooking at 180°C to 200°C on the indirect side.
- Place the wings on the cooler side, close the lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice. They should reach at least 74°C internally, though I prefer them closer to 80°C.
Glaze with Care
- Brush the wings lightly with the black garlic soy treacle glaze. Move them nearer the hot side and turn every 45 to 60 seconds.
- Brush again in thin layers for 4 to 5 minutes. The glaze should become shiny and tacky. If it starts looking dry or blackened, pull the wings back to indirect heat.
Finish with Shallot and Spring Onion
- Transfer the wings to a warm serving tray. Brush with a final thin coat of glaze.
- Scatter over crisp shallots and sliced spring onion just before serving. Don’t add the shallots too early, or steam from the wings will soften them.
Notes
Black garlic is soft and sticky, so I mash it with a fork before whisking it into the glaze. If the cloves are very firm, warm them briefly with the soy sauce and water, then mash again. It should melt into the sauce rather than sit in lumps. Light soy brings salt, dark soy brings colour and treacle brings the deep shine.
Treacle is stronger than molasses and much more assertive than honey. Use it carefully. Too much can make the wings taste bitter and medicinal. The honey softens the treacle’s edge, while rice vinegar keeps the glaze from becoming heavy. Five spice in the wing seasoning adds a quiet aromatic base, but it shouldn’t dominate.
Nutrition
Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 33gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 1280mgPotassium: 570mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 420IUCalcium: 78mgIron: 3.1mg
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