Wings to a man's heart

When I started dating, my husband (then my boyfriend) invited me to visit his home on a saturday. I promised to let him taste my cooking when I visited. This was the dish I cooked. True enough, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."


Recipe: Pan-fried party wings


Ingredients:
- around 12 fresh party wings, wrapped dry with paper towel
- 3 tablespoon (TB) light soy sauce
- 2 TB dark soy sauce
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 glass water 


Procedure:
1. Start a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Lay wings flat on pan. Let them brown slowly until brown. Flip and brown the other side. It may take about 20-30 minutes. Lower heat to med-low if pan is too hot. (Wings will appear done but the bones aren't fully cooked yet.) Drain fat. 
2. Add light and dark soy sauces on wings. Continue frying on medium heat as the liquid sizzles. Once the liquid starts to dry up a little, add wine. At this point, beware of kitchen intruders, such as: a sweetheart hugging you from behind, or kids crowding around the stove. They are simply attracted by the sudden explosion of aromas.
3. When the aromas have diffused a little, sprinkle sugar on wings. Add water (if necessary) to keep the wings half-immersed. Cover lid and simmer on med-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Allow the sauce to slowly thicken but not dry up. Meanwhile let the rest of the household dwell on their anticipation. Don't forget to turn the wings occasionally.
4. When the sauce starts to caramelize (which happens within 30 seconds), turn heat to very low and carefully turn wings to coat with the sauce. The smell of caramelization usually triggers off a second round of excitement in the house. Take wings out before the pan dries out. Otherwise, it may burn and spoil the mood of the whole household. Serve hot.

This is one of those dishes that fill my home with heightened joy both during the cooking and the eating.