Pok Pok Ny is one of Brooklyn’s most popular restaurants at the moment, and this past weekend, knowing full well that National Chicken Wing Day was just around the corner, I stopped by to finally see what all the fuss was about.
Even on a Saturday at 5:30 PM, I waited with three friends for 45 minutes to get a table, but it was worth it. Walking into the restaurant, you find yourself transported into a small Thai village right on the Brooklyn waterfront.
When you think of a top New York restaurant, you don’t really imagine picnic tables with plastic tablecloths and a literal tent serving as a roof, but the food was reasonably priced (not to mention absolutely delicious) and the restaurant’s charm shines through. Family style is key here, so order a few different dishes and dig in.
The star of Pok Pok Ny is, without a doubt, its fish sauce wings. I’ve read that the proprietor, Andy Ricker, fell in love with these wings on a trip to Thailand. Fish sauce sounds scary, but it is a rich, fragrant ingredient that makes these fried wings pop. I would even go as far as likening fish sauce to something like truffle oil — its umami, or savory flavor, makes it surprisingly irresistible (for more on fish sauce, check out my Momofuku Roasted Brussels Sprouts).
Even my less than adventurous dining companions found themselves falling in love with these wings. They’re sticky, sweet, wonderfully crispy, and unlike anything you’ve had before. I have found numerous websites with the original recipe, but I modified it slightly to fit with the ingredients I had at home. I opted for Wondra flour, which is a superfine flour perfect for frying, refuses to clump up and creates a lovely, light breading that doesn’t get in the way of the caramelized fish sauce poured on top of the finished product. If you don’t have Wondra, feel free to use more all-purpose flour, or cornstarch, as the original recipe suggests.
Pok Pok Style Fish Sauce Wings
5 pounds chicken wings
1 cup fish sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
9 garlic cloves, separated (5 smashed and 4 minced)
1 cup Wondra flour + 1 cup all-purpose flour
7-8 cups vegetable oil (plus an additional 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped
1. You can leave your wings whole or halve them at the joint, it’s up to you. If you decide to leave them whole, I recommend scoring the piece of fat between the joints with a knife to make them easier to eat.
2. Combine the fish sauce, granulated sugar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and 4 mashed garlic cloves together in a medium sized bowl and whisk until the sugar has mostly dissolved in the fish sauce and lime juice. Place your wings in a sealable container or bag, then pour the marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (as always, overnight is best).
3. When you are almost ready to fry your wings, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small pot. When hot, add in the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Remove the fried garlic from the oil and set aside on paper towels to drain. Wipe out the small pot.
4. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, add in 7-8 cups of vegetable oil (enough to go up at least 4-5 inches in the side of your pot - you want to be able to mostly cover the wings) and heat to 350 degrees F. Combine your Wondra flour and all-purpose flour in a pie dish. Remove the wings from the marinade, but be sure to reserve the marinade and place it in the same small pot in which you fried your garlic. Simmer the marinade over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and watching carefully so that it doesn’t boil over, until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
5. When your oil is hot, dredge the wings in the flour mixture, shake off any excess flour, and fry your wings in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry the wings for 8 minutes or so, until cooked through and golden brown. Place each batch on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to drain and continue frying the rest of your wings (they will stay hot and have the sauce poured over them, so don’t worry about them cooling too much). Once you’ve fried all of your wings, place them on a large platter or in a bowl, pour your reduced marinade over the top, and sprinkle with the fresh cilantro, mint and fried garlic. Serve alongside a big salad or pickled vegetables.
