Vietnamese Chicken Wings

Directions

1. Finely chop garlic and sprinkle on salt, then continue chopping another 15 seconds.
2. Place garlic mixture into small bowl, add warm water, and let sit a few minutes.
3. Take another bowl and place a fine-mesh strainer above and pour in garlic mixture, using the back of a spoon to press the garlic and extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve garlic.
4. Add fish sauce and sugar to garlic juice and stir until sugar dissolves. There should be one cup of liquid.
5. Into large bowl add chicken wings and ½ cup of the fish sauce mixture, reserving the remainder. Toss well with clean hands then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Toss every hour.
6. Add ¾ inch oil into pan for frying, heating over high heat until oil shimmers. Test heat by adding a small portion of reserved minced garlic, which should bubble immediately.
7. Add remaining garlic and turn heat down to medium-low. Cook garlic about 5 minutes or until color turns a light golden brown. Remove garlic and drain on paper towels. There should be about 2 tablespoons.
8. Place the wings in a colander in the sink and let drain about 15 minutes, shaking occasionally.
9. Add about 2 inches oil into a pan, wok, or deep fryer. The oil should be deep enough to submerge wings. Heat on medium-high until temperature reaches 350°F.
10. Into large mixing bowl add rice flour and tempura batter and stir to combine.
11. Toss half the wings in flour mixture, coating well and tapping off any excess before frying.
12. Add wings to hot oil, cooking 4 minutes. Continue cooking until deep golden brown in color, about another 6–8 minutes.
13. Transfer wings to paper towels to drain and allow oil to come back to high heat.
14. Fry second batch of wings, then drain on paper towels.
15. Add ¼ cup water to the remaining fish sauce mixture and stir well. Set aside.
16. Place a ¼ cup of the fish sauce mixture in a large pan or wok set over high heat and bring to a boil.
17. Cook about 45 second to one minute until liquid reduces by half and add half the chicken wings, tossing to coat using tongs or spatula. Liquid will become sticky and caramel colored after about a minute.
18. Add one tablespoon of reserved fried garlic and toss well, cooking about 30 seconds more as wings deepen in color.
19. Transfer wings to serving platter. 
20. Rinse and wipe out pan or wok before frying the second batch of wings using the same process, adding first fish sauce and boiling down, adding in wings, and finally adding fried garlic.