Get chicken portions or flats. Trust me on this. It's the middle part of a chicken wing. If you want to deep fry instead of pan frying, it may not matter, and you can use the drums also, but we are pan frying here, flats make it easy.
This is how I buy them here.
Now use a little salt, some pepper, and garlic powder, I just sprinkle it on one side. It will mixed in, so no need to do both sides. Not too much salt, fish sauce has salt in it also.
This is the fish sauce I use, but use what you like.
Now, we want the fish sauce in constant contact with the wings. I find a locking plastic bag works the best for this. Put your wings in, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fish sauce. 1 Tbl. per pound of wings give or take. Massage the wings to distribute the sauce and seasoning.
Here you can see the fish sauce all up in the wings. Place in refrigerator until needed. 1-3 hours typically.
After marinade time had elapsed, and you're ready to fry these, set about a 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet. Heat to mediumish. Not super hot. You basically want the oil to come up about half way on the flats.
Here is my setting, that just happened to work fine for me.
Now pull out the wings, and set on a paper towel
Place another paper towel on top, pat dry.
Here is my pile, all patted dry
Now take 1 batch worth of wings, not all of them, and place in a bowl.
Put some corn starch/rice flour on them
Mix them to cover with the corn starch/rice flour
Now we want to remove anything that is extra, we just want a light coating. I use a fine mesh strainer, and just bounce a couple at a time until the extra falls off
Now place them in the hot oil (very carefully) the pretty side, or top side, down. This is why we are using flats, less oil, even frying. You don't get that with drums.
Fry for 4 minutes
Flip each over, cook 3 minutes
Remove to drain, cook other batches the same way. I will usually do the coating, and ready the next batch while one is frying. Doing the coating to early will make it gummy.
