Japanese BBQ Chicken Wings with Crispy Spring Salad

Cook Rice:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1¹⁄₂ cups of water. Bring to boil on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 28-30 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in the lime zest (from step 3). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook Chicken:

Drizzle chicken wings with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer on a lined baking tray and roast 20 minutes or until lightly browned and almost cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place, leaving the oven on.

Prepare Ingredients:

Prepare remaining ingredients. Roughly tear lettuce into smaller pieces. Pick mint leaves (discard stems). Halve cucumber lengthwise and thinly slice on an angle. Zest lime (add to rice when cooked) and cut in half. In a small bowl, combine the chicken wing sauce and sambal oelek (to taste), depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.

Baste Wings:

Transfer the roasted chicken wings to a large bowl. Add half the sauce; toss to thoroughly coat. Return wings to the lined tray and arrange in a single, even layer. Roast a further 10 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven. Top with the remaining sauce.

Make Vinaigrette:

While the rice & wings cook; prepare the vinaigrette. Peel and small dice the shallot to get 2 Tbsp; add to a bowl with the lime juice (to taste) and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine.

You Plate It:

Place the lettuce, cucumber and mint in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad; toss to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished chicken wings, cooked rice and salad between plates. Garnish with some mint. Enjoy!