Ingredients :
- 4 pounds chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Salt or to taste, divided
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed or anise seed
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup cilantro loosely chopped, for garnish
Directions :
- Arrange two oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Coat rack with nonstick spray.
- Pat wings dry with paper towels. In a large zipper-top plastic bag, add baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and wings and toss to coat.
- Arrange coated wings skin-side up on rack. Transfer baking sheet to lower-middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine cumin, fennel seeds, peppers, and Szechuan peppercorns in a small skillet and toast over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder, add the sugar and the remaining salt and grind into a rough powder (or use mortar and pestle).
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Transfer baking sheet to upper middle rack and bake until the wings are golden and crispy, about 45 to 50 minutes longer, flipping after 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add oil and half the spice blend and toss to coat. Taste one wing and add more spice blend to taste, if desired. Garnish with cilantro.
