80's Music

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Shaped Rice & Other Atrocities... D.C. Staples: Chicken Wings With Mumbo Sauce & Fried Rice...

Every city has a type of food that defines what they are, or once were. In the Nation's Capitol, one of the dishes is chicken wings with mumbo sauce and fried rice. I'm not sure when it made it's way here but I do know that as early as the late 80's I was heading to the corner Chinese carry out to get my fill of it. After a night of debauchery, this dish is a "no-brainer" the only thing that might compare is a Big Slice (another D.C. thing).

On the title: There's always a story to share, so here it goes.

A while back I invited my friend Q over so that I could impress her with my culinary wares. I figured I'd pull out all of the tricks. The menu was Miso Poached Salmon, Coconut Rice and Grilled Asparagus. If you were lucky enough to get this from me it normally meant that I was coming with The Moves immediately after dessert and drinks. Back in the day, this was one of my Deal Closers, it was as if with each bite the food became more of an aphrodisiac and love would be in the air. As I cooked and waited for her to come, I came up with the idea that I would go the extra mile for her and present the dish in a way that I had never done before. This was sure to impress. As the smell of a well thought out and prepared meal wafted through the spring evening air, the doorbell rang and I answered it with a glass of bubbly for the object to my affection. The harps that were playing silently in my head quickly turned to crescendo of heavy metal and the mood was altered for good. It seemed that my darling Q had seen directly through my school boy tricks and countered them with a + 1. Yep, she brought her girl VP with her. No, there would be no freaky threesome, this was a move that was made just to let me know that we were going to be friends and nothing more. As I handed Q the glass of champagne she handed it off to VP and said as she chuckled, "I'll need a glass of gin, V, this shit is for you!" I think at that point she may have pulled a cordial out of her pocket just in case I didn't have her drink of choice. Hilarious! As the night went on I finally brought the two of them out the main course and prepared for them both to be in awe and win back my face. I decided to take a martini glass and use it as a mold for the rice to give my plate height and a unique look. Dr. Q looked at her plate and said, "Who in the hell makes shaped rice?" As the two ladies fell out in laughter at my culinary genius I shrunk and realized that these two jokers were not only unimpressed but down right amused at my corny attempts to woo with food and shaped rice. I swear we all laughed about it for the next three hours or so and to this day when we see each other or text we talk about the day. It just goes to show you that men are truly are elementary when it comes to romance (even when we swear we have it down).

On the menu today: Chicken Wings With Mumbo Sauce & Fried Rice...

 D.C. Staples: Chicken Wings With Mumbo Sauce & Fried Rice...

Fried Rice
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time 10 Minutes

Ingredients
  • White Rice (2 cups)
  • Water (4 Cups)
  • Minced Garlic (2 Tbs)
  • Minced Ginger (1 Tbs) 
  • Diced Onions (1/2 cup)
  • Vegetable Oil (2 Tbs) 
  • Eggs (3-4)
  • Soy Sauce (1/4 Cup) 
  • Salt & Pepper (TT)
  • Toasted Sesame Oil (1 Tbs)
  • Sesame Seeds (2 Tbs)
Process 

1) Cook the rice and allow to cool for later use.
2) Add the oil to a heated wok and then add the onions, cooking them until slightly browned
then add the garlic and ginger before adding the rice and tossing or stirring for 5 minutes on high  heat. Set aside for incorporation at a later time.
3) Add the eggs to the heated wok and scramble until done and set aside for later use.
4) Add the Veggies to the heated wok and cook until crisp and done adding the rice back to the pan to reheat being sure to stir while adding the soy sauce.
5) Add the eggs and stir in before finally adding the Toasted Sesame oil and seeds to finish.

1&2) Frying Rice
4) Stir Frying Veggies
3) Scrambled Eggs
4) Veggies & Fried Rice
4) Fried Rice Soy Added








Dr. Q's Shaped Rice & Chicken Wings with Mumbo Sauce


Chicken Wings
Prep Time: N/A
Frying Time: 10-19 Minutes
Fry Temp. 350 degrees

Ingredients
  • Chicken Wings (3-4 PP) 
  • Flour (1/4 cup)
  • Season Salt (2 Tbs)
  • Powdered Garlic (1 tsp)
  • Paprika (1 Tbs) 
Process

Mix all of the dry ingredients and add them to the chicken, allowing it to sit for 20 minutes and until the oil is heated in your deep fryer. Once ready, fry the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees for at least 20 seconds. This will take about 10-19 minutes depending on how crowded your fryer is.


Mumbo Sauce
Prep Time: N/A
Cooking Time: 2 Minutes


Ingredients
  • Plum Sauce (1/2 Cup) 
  • Sweet Chili Sauce (1/2 Cup) 
  • Hoisin Sauce (3 Tbs) 
  • Grape or Cherry Juice (1/2 Cup) 
  • Optional- Hot Sauce (4 Tbs)

Process

Add all of the ingredients to a wok and bring to a boil to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir and put on the wings and the rice or use a a dipping sauce.