Buffalo Wings, But For China

Prepare the hot sauce base: Blend 85g pickled millet chilies, 1-2 cloves garlic, and 1/3 cup water until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove solids, reserving the liquid as your hot sauce base.

Marinate the chicken wings: In a bowl, combine 15 chicken wings with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1/2 tbsp red fragrant chili powder, 1/2 tbsp spicy chili powder, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp bourbon, 1/2 tbsp Tabasco, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Mix well to coat all wings. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Prepare the chicken coating slurry: Just before deep frying, whisk 1 egg white. In a separate small bowl, mix 10g water with 10g cornstarch to create a slurry. Combine the egg white and cornstarch slurry, then mix thoroughly with the marinated chicken wings.

First fry the chicken wings: Heat 1 liter of oil in a wok to approximately 120°C (250°F). Carefully drop the coated chicken wings into the hot oil. Quickly toss them to prevent sticking and allow the coating to form for about 1 minute. Remove the wings from the oil and set aside to drain.

Second fry the chicken wings: Increase the oil temperature in the wok to about 175°C (350°F). Drop the partially fried wings back into the hot oil. Fry for approximately 4 minutes, or until the wings are fully cooked through, golden brown, and crispy. Remove and drain.

Prepare the stir-fry buffalo sauce mixture: Combine the hot sauce base (from step 1) with enough chicken stock or water to make 1 cup of liquid. Add 0.5 tbsp milk powder, 0.5 tbsp Tabasco, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 0.25 tsp white pepper, 0.25 tsp MSG, 0.5 tsp chicken bouillon powder, and 0.125 tsp garlic powder. Mix well. (Optional: For extra spice, add half a ghost pepper to the mixture and let it infuse briefly, then remove before cooking).

Stir-fry the buffalo sauce: In a clean wok, melt 2 tbsp butter over a low flame until it foams. Add 1 finely minced clove of garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add 3 pickled spicy chilies (for garnish) and 0.5 tsp spicy chili powder. Increase the flame to high and give it a quick mix. Pour 1 tbsp bourbon over the spatula and around the side of the wok, then quickly mix. Pour in the prepared hot sauce mixture and bring it to a light boil. Reduce the flame to low and drizzle in a slurry of 2 tsp potato starch mixed with 2 tsp water, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens to a desired consistency.

Mount the sauce with butter and toss wings: Shut off the heat. Gradually add 2.5 tbsp cold butter, bit by bit, stirring constantly until the butter is fully incorporated and the sauce reaches your desired butteriness. Add the piping hot deep-fried chicken wings to the sauce and mix thoroughly to coat them evenly. Transfer the sauced wings to a serving plate, pouring any excess sauce into a small bowl.

Prepare the blue cheese dip: In a small bowl, combine 35g blue cheese, 1 cube white fermented tofu, 75g plain yogurt, 20g non-Asian mayonnaise, 1 tsp sugar, 0.25 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp MSG, 0.25 tsp rice vinegar, and a sprinkle of minced celery leaf. Mix all ingredients well until smooth.

Prepare the sides: Deep-fry 8 mantou until golden brown. Peel 2 celery stalks to remove strings and cut into sticks. Slice 1 red bell pepper into strips.

Serve: Arrange the sauced buffalo wings, deep-fried mantou, celery sticks, and red bell pepper strips on a platter. Serve with the prepared blue cheese dip and any reserved excess buffalo sauce.