How to make shrimp paste chicken wings – Cantonese and hawker style
- The difference is in the batter – in Cantonese cuisine it’s simple, while Singapore and Malaysia hawkers cook the wings in a thicker, airier batter
- Both versions rely on pungent shrimp paste, which smells much stronger than it tastes
I had always thought of shrimp paste chicken as a Cantonese dish, until I tasted it at hawker centres in Singapore and Malaysia. The Cantonese version typically uses a whole chicken cut into small pieces while in Malaysia and Singapore it tends to be made with the wings only.
This recipe uses the Cantonese flavours I love in the dish, but with wings. There are also two styles of coating – a plain starch one, which I prefer, or a thicker, airier one incorporating baking soda and egg white, like the versions available at the hawker centres.
Shrimp paste chicken wings
Shrimp paste varies depending on where it is produced. The Chinese version is soft and spreadable, and comes in jars, while the variety usually found in Malaysia and Singapore is sun-dried and comes as a hard brick. Use the Chinese style for this dish.
There’s no getting around the fact that shrimp paste is pungent, but the flavour is much milder than the smell. Be sure to wear latex or rubber gloves when mixing the wings with the marinade, or the odour will linger on your hands.
I like to mix starches for the coating. If you can’t find sweet potato flour, add another 10 grams of plain flour. You won’t need all the coating mixture; the remainder can be stored in an airtight container for at least a month, and used to coat other fried dishes.
As with most other fried dishes, I double-fry the wings. The first frying cooks the meat, and can be done in advance; the second frying crisps up the coating just before serving.
1kg chicken wings
