Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6 - 8

The rich, savory flavor of chicken mafe, a traditional West African dish, is reflected in the sauce that coats these flavorful wings. The wings are fried twice: first at a lower temperature, then at a higher temperature. This ensures a super-crispy crust. To avoid fuss on serving day, you can fry the wings once the night before, freeze them overnight, and then fry them a second time just before serving. Sprinkle the finished wings with crushed peanuts and serve with mango and lime slices.

Ingredients:

• 1.8 kg chicken wings, cut at the joints, tips removed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil + extra for frying
• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 3 limes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted salted peanuts, for serving
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced, for serving

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

chicken wings, lime, mango, Habañero pepper, tomato paste, Peanut butter, fish sauce, bay leaf

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
Step 2
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches 275°F (135°C) on a deep-fry thermometer.
Step 3
• Fry the wings in two batches, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes per batch. To check for doneness, remove a wing from the oil and pierce it with the tip of a knife. If there's no resistance, they're done.
Step 4
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wings to a clean wire rack set over a baking sheet and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Reheat the oil to the desired temperature between batches.
Step 5
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.:
  
  In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chili pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and light golden, about 12 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and bay leaf, then pour in the broth.
  
  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and slightly reduced, about 8 minutes.
Step 6
• Remove the sauce from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the fish sauce. Finely grate the zest of 1 lime into the sauce, then add the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and keep warm.
Step 7
• Heat oil in a saucepan to 220°C (425°F). Fry the wings again in three batches until the skin is golden brown and very crispy, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer the wings to a large bowl and sprinkle each batch with salt while hot. Reheat the oil to the desired temperature between batches.
Step 8
• Pour two-thirds of the peanut sauce over the wings and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the wings to a platter and sprinkle with peanuts. Finely grate the zest of another lime over the wings, then slice the remaining limes into wedges.
Step 9
• Serve wings immediately with lime wedges, mango slices, and the remaining peanut sauce.

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