My idea for this dish came from a shopping trip where I had seen these cool black plates. I wasn’t going to purchase them because for most of the meals I post I would rather have a white plate (to show more detail on the food itself) but my girlfriend gave me an idea. These plates were screaming for a good Asian dish! She specifically requested sesame cold noodles. I had never made that before — or even tasted it! But I must say this dish was absolutely delicious.  I chose Japanese Soba noodles instead of Chinese egg noodles. We found the Soba to be heartier and more satisfying, and the combination of the sesame oil, peanut butter and other spices cooked into the sauce was just plain amazing. Because we wanted a little protein with dinner, I cooked up some Asian-style chicken wings (since I always have wings in the freezer). I have soft spot for any style of chicken wings, and these had just the punch I was looking for. You should marinate these wings overnight, but at least no less than 4 hours for the best flavor. Now lets De-Construct some Asian cuisine

For the Noodles you will need:

• 1/2 lb Japanese Soba noodles
• 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste,
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• Cucumber slices, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the Wings:

• 2 pounds chicken wings (exclude wing tips)
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
• 3 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Canola oil, for deep-frying
• 2/3 cup regular rice flour or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, homemade or purchased
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, green part only chopped cilantro and/or mint for garnish

Ok lets get those noodles done first:

Cook the noodles in large pot of boiling unsalted water over medium heat until barely tender and still firm. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain the noodles really well and transfer to a wide bowl; toss with the sesame oil so they don’t stick together.

In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium-low flame. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Cook and stir for a minute until soft and fragrant. Mix in the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the peanut butter has smoothed out. Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds, cucumber slices, and cilantro.

Now on to those wings!

First cut your wings into drumettes

In a small bowl, combine the garlic and water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Position a mesh strainer over a bowl, and pour the garlic water through to strain. Press on the solids to extract as much garlic water as possible.

Add the fish sauce, light brown sugar, sugar and pepper. Stir to dissolve. Transfer to a plastic bag, add the chicken wings, and refrigerate for4 hours, or overnight.

Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before frying to remove some of the chill. Drain the chicken wings from the marinade and blot dry with paper towel. Reserve the marinade! Have the rice flour ready in a small bowl.

Pour the oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a saucepan, wok, or deep skillet. Heat to about 360°F.
lightly dredge each wing in rice flour, patting off the excess. Put the reserved marinade and chile garlic sauce in a large skillet and set it on the stove.

Fry the wings in batches until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel. 6. Heat the reserved marinade until bubbly and slightly syrupy. Add the freshly fried wings and stir, turn, and coat in the syrup, which will turn sticky as it reduces and clings to the wings. Add a splash of water  to dilute the glazy bits in the skillet and get them to coat the wings. There should be no liquid left when you’re done coating.

Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the scallions. Bon appetit!