Bruddah Bruce's Maui Chicken Wings

Food, family, friends and fun. The four F's. Thanks to @lornayee tweet the other day about soy sauce chicken wings, I got a craving for my brother Bruce's Maui chicken wings. And you know you have to eat what you're craving or else you'll be eating everything under the sun until it is satisfied. I also think it is best to share that craving to help it go away - like when you get a song stuck in your head and it won't go away until you tell someone else? No better time to share my craving than on Superbowl Sunday - add a fifth F, football.

I was raised as an only child here in Seattle, a product of my father's second marriage. His first produced 6 boys who all grew up in Hawai'i, one of which is Bruce whom we thank for sharing his recipe below.

Bruddah Bruce's Maui Chicken

2 cups white sugar

3 cups water

4 cups soy sauce

5 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 inch of ginger, smashed

3 pounds of chicken thighs or drumsticks (or about 5 pounds of chicken wings)

I like to add some crushed chili peppers and chili oil to add a little heat. I suggest using an Asian chili oil rather than a hot sauce like Tabasco because you want pure heat without the vinegar.

Mix together all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Prepare chicken by rinsing and removing any excess fatty pieces and breaking down the chicken wings at the joints if necessary. In a large pot or in plastic bags, marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator, gently turning every 4-6 hours to ensure all pieces are evenly marinated. If you can't marinate overnight, then for at least 8 hours and reduce the water by one cup. For wings, marinate at least 6 hours, until the raw chicken takes on a dark brown color.

Remove the chicken around an hour or so before you're ready to start cooking. This is just to prevent a nearly freezing chicken hitting hot fire. That way the outside doesn't get dry while you're trying to make sure the parts closest to the bone get cooked thoroughly. Use your favorite method for cooking...on the grill, broiling in the oven, baking or even stovetop boiling in the marinade with some extra water. Apply heat until the chicken is cooked all the way through and enjoy - chopstix not required!

Having these wings brings back the memory of the first time I ate these at Bruce's house on Maui. A warm Hawai'ian breeze, beautiful sunset and my niece Kristeena schooling Rob on the backyard Astroturf putting green. For Rob's sake, I should mention that Kristeena is currently the 2009 HSJGA champ for 9-10 year old girls. She beats the 11-12 year old boys too but they can't say that.

Aloha and mahalo Bruddah Bruce!