Crispy Miso (Baked!) Wings

CRISPY MISO (BAKED!) WINGS

Super Bowl = wings!  And these are what I'm making.  The spread, for me, is what it's all about…..eating "bad" (but oh-so-good) food.  I figured it was time for me to up my wing game, and I’ve been slightly obsessed with putting white miso paste in everything lately.  There are a ton of varieties of miso, and you can find it in any Asian grocery store in the refrigerated section.  I use it in salad dressings, marinades for fish, meat and, of course, in my baked wings recipe. 

I LOVE some good wings, but I wasn’t so into deep-frying them and making a splattered mess of my kitchen.  But you can still get them crispy in the oven.   If you crank it up high enough and cook the wings on a rack over a sheet tray - the chicken skin fat will render out, they'll stay tender AND the skin will crisp up nicely!  These are slightly sweet, umami, and with a great kick.  Enjoy!

Serves 6

For the marinade + wings:

½ cup white miso paste

¼ cup plus two tablespoons mirin

3-4 tablespoons sriracha (plus more if you want extra heat)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 lbs chicken wings, tips removed, drummettes and flats separated

Kosher salt

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

For the dipping sauce:

½ cup sour cream

½ lime, juiced

small handful of cilantro, chopped

Extra sriracha, to taste

For the marinade:  In a bowl, whisk together the miso, mirin, sriracha, soy, sesame oil, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar.  Set aside/refrigerate a half cup for the dipping sauce.  Add the minced garlic to the marinade and toss the wings with it until they are thoroughly coated.  Transfer to a plastic bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours and preferably overnight.

For the wings: Preheat oven to 400° F.  Put a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside.

Transfer the marinated wings to a colander to drain, and then wipe off any excess.  The marinade can burn, so you want it dry-ish.  Season the wings with salt and transfer to the rack over the baking sheet.  Bake the wings for about 40 minutes, rotating half way through cooking..

For the dipping sauce: In another bowl, add the reserved marinade and mix with the sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and more sriracha, depending on your heat preference.  

Serve hot with the dipping sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds!