Padma's Gunpowder Chicken Wings

Crispy, crunchy and well-seasoned, with the right kick — this recipe is everything we want chicken wings to be. The wings rest overnight in a simple brine, and the dredge is seasoned with 2 tablespoons of Gunpowder. After that, the trick is really to set up your kitchen station like an assembly line: flour, egg, seasoned panko breadcrumbs, and voila! Dredge all the chicken wings before heating the oil and beginning to fry so the process doesn't get overwhelming, and season with more Gunpowder once fried if you'd like! The crunch is to die for!

Ingredients

4 cups water
½ cup kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 lbs chicken wings
2 cups flour
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
6 tbsp Gunpowder
4 eggs
Neutral oil for frying (avocado or vegetable oil)

Methods

Brine the chicken wings overnight: dissolve ½ cup kosher salt and 1 tbsp sugar into 4 cups of water. Submerge the wings, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
30 minutes before you’re ready to fry, remove the wings from the fridge and drain. Pat them dry.
Set up your dredging station: mix flour with a pinch of salt and spread evenly on a dinner plate. Whisk four eggs and a pinch of salt until frothy in a wide mouth bowl, and place the bowl to the right of the flour. Mix the panko with Gunpowder well, and spread evenly on another plate, and place to the right of the egg bowl. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and place to the right of the panko and gunpowder mixture.
Dredge each wing by coating it in flour first, then dipping it in egg, then rolling it in the panko mixture until fully coated. You want to use one hand, and keep the other clean.
In a deep skillet, add 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium-high to 350 degrees.
When the oil is hot (drop in a panko crumb — it should sizzle immediately), add the wings in batches with tongs making sure to leave enough space between each one (in a standard-size skillet, about 4 wings at a time). Adjust heat to maintain the oil temperature at 350 degrees.
Fry for 3–5 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for 3–4 minutes more. When both sides are golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165°F, transfer to a wire cooling rack. Immediately dust the fried wings with Gunpowder, generously.
Serve hot!