Tomato Caramel Sauce Takes These Wings to New Heights

Four Seasons Hotel Austin

Dive into this recipe featuring chicken wings smothered in tomato caramel sauce and a side of Yuzu Ranch, by chef James Flowers at TRIO.

Four Seasons Hotel Austin

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings

40 pieces Chicken wings (combination of flats and drumettes)
1 sm. bottle Frank’s Red Hot
2 Tbsp Smoked paprika
1 Tbsp Black pepper
2 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Togarashi spice (available in most Asian markets)

Tomato Caramel Sauce

1 cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
½ cup Tomato paste
½ cup Tamari soy sauce
2 cups Rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp Smoked paprika
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Fish sauce

Yuzu Ranch

3/4 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Mayo
1 Ranch packet (yes, that’s right)
¼ cup Fresh yuzu juice (can be found in some Japanese markets or on Amazon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Chicken Wings:

Mix all rub ingredients together and coat wings thoroughly. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to lightly cure. Bake wings in a 325°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Cool and reserve.

For the Tomato Caramel:

Combine sugar and water and caramelize over high heat until an amber color is achieved. Add tomato paste and paprika and continue to cook over high heat to toast spice for about 15-20 seconds. Deglaze with vinegar and add remainder of ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Continue to simmer over medium until sauce is reduced by half and has a “glaze” texture.

For the Yuzu Ranch:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl; refrigerate until served.

To Finish the Dish:

In a metal mixing bowl add about ½ cup of the tomato caramel sauce. Once wings are baked or fried, drop them in the sauce bowl and toss. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, fresh herbs (basil, sliced green onions or mint leaves). Serve with yuzu ranch on the side.

**Note: for best results, Chef James recommends deep frying the wings. Heat oil in fryer to 360°F and fry wings in batches of 8-10 at a time.**