Small chicken wings are 33% meat, 33% skin and 33% bone – the best part being the skin. When chicken skin is rendered down from it’s pale, dotted and limp original state, it transforms into a golden and crunchy treat from the heavens. If you are #blessed enough, the fat from the skin might pool at the bottom of your baking pan to produce schmaltz. (Have you ever dipped a bland and dry veggie sandwich in warm schmaltz to make it palatable? I have, and it was glorious.) Chicken wings are a crowd pleaser and can be enjoyed hot and cold, which is why I thought they’d be a wonderful accompaniment to the Soba Noodle Salad with Ginger Scallion Sauce. The lacquered and addictive sweet and salty glaze was especially popular with the kids who loved nibbling off of the chicken bone.
Notes: The chicken wings I bought were smaller than what I normally encounter at the store. But because of my love of chicken skin (see above) this didn’t bother me. The size of your chicken wings will change the amount of time you bake them. The meat on my small chicken wings were a little dry but the skin was incredibly crisp and was not compromised and didn’t get soggy when dressed with the glaze. This was worthwhile to me, but your mileage may vary.