Ingredients (serves 4)

• 12 Chicken wings, small drumstick attached
• 3/4 tablespoon Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon Pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon Grated garlic
• 1/2 cup Plain flour
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• Oil For deep frying

Method

1. Wash the chicken wings and pat dry with kitchen towels. Place in a large resealable plastic bag (I recommend a Ziploc bag with expandable bottom). Add the salt, pepper, cayenne powder and garlic. Seal the bag. Shake the bag to distribute the seasonings. Massage the chicken wings through the plastic to work the seasonings into the meat. Place the fridge for at least two hours, turning the bag over and massaging the chicken every 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil. Medium-high works best for me — the chicken get cooked through while the coating does not get too brown.
3. Open the plastic bag and dump the flour and corn meal inside. Reseal and shake thoroughly to make sure that every crevice of each piece of chicken is coated.
4. When the oil starts to smoke (smoking profusely means it is too hot), deep fry the chicken wings. Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and so that the temperature of the oil does not drop. Leave them alone for five minutes or so. If you start moving them around too soon, the coating will slide off the chicken. This will happen too if the oil is not hot enough. When the underside is nicely browned, turn them over and cook for another five minutes or so. Chicken wings don’t take too long to cook.
5. If you cook your fried chicken correctly, the coating will not be shiny at all and very little oil will drip off the chicken as you lift them off the frying pan. To make sure that you get rid of the little excess oil, drain on paper towels before serving.

Notes

Garlic powder can be substituted for fresh garlic.