When you buy wings for these recipes, if they come from
Perdue, the odds are that they won't have any tiny hairs on
them. That's actually a considerable engineering feat. In
theory the singeing machines at the processing plants
should burn the little hairs off, but in practice, the
birds are wet by the time they get to the singeing machines
and the hairs can be stuck down so the flame doesn't reach
them. Seeing this, Frank told the engineers at the
processing plant, "You know when you wash your hands in the
men's room and they have those hot air driers? Design one
that's got an engine like a 747 and we'll hit the wing with
that and dry the hairs so they'll stand up." The idea
worked, but not completely. After the initial effort, the
machines still missed one or two hairs. For research into
the solution to this minor detail, the company has spent
more than $100,000 over the years.
24 chicken wings
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons chili sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't like it
hot)
salt to taste
Fold wing tips behind tip of large joints to form
triangles. In large bowl, combine soy sauce and remaining
ingredients. Place wings in marinade; cover and
refrigerate 1 hour or longer.