What’s not to love about nicely spiced chicken wings?
OK, mebbe the frying in the fat bit, and then all the stuff that goes into the dipping sauces, but…
what if you could have some mighty fine chicken wings that’re baked, not fried,
AND, what if they were tossed in a home made sweet n’ spicy sauce that didn’t need no stinkin’ extra dipping stuff?
Yeh, I thought you’d see it that way.
The wings are a snap to make – just toss some seasonings, a bit of flour, and veggie oil in a bag, add the wings, and toss like crazy to coat, then bake.
The sauce is also wicked simple – a bit of simmering, then a good whizzz with an immersion blender. I make enough to then can extra to stash in the pantry, but it is really simple enough to make as needed. The most exotic ingredient is the tamarind nectar, and you just need to look in the hispanic foods section of your market to find that, so let’s make us some chicken wings!
INGREDIENTS
Sherry Peppers Sauce:
•2 (16 oz) jars hot cherry peppers, drained
•1/2 cup juice from the peppers
•2 (12 oz) cans tamarind nectar
•2 jalapeños, sliced
•3 cups water
•2 cups white vinegar
•3-3/4 cups sugar
•4 tsp sea salt
•1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
•2 tbsp hot sauce
•1-1/4 cup sherry
•2 pkg (1-3/4 oz) pectin
Chicken Wings:
•3-1/2 lb wings (I use drumettes)
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/2 tsp celery salt
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•2 tsp veggie oil
•2 tsp flour
First, make the sauce by combining all of the ingredients together in a large, non-reactive pot.
Bring to a roiling boil and let bubble for three minutes, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Purée with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender, then divide between prepared canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. This amount will give you about six half-pints. If you don’t want to bother with canning, just allow the puréed mixture to cool, then stash in the fridge until needed.
Either way, you’ll soon find a lot of different ways to use this sauce, so don’t fret over it going bad in the back of the fridge – you’ll be using it up way before that happens.
Sauce taken care of, let’s move on to the wings…
Preheat oven to 400°.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, then fit with a rack and apply cooking spray.
Place the seasonings, flour and oil in a gallon sized zipper bag and toss to mix.
Add the chicken wings in batches, toss to coat with the seasonings, then arrange in a single layer on the rack.
Bake the wings until they’re cooked through and the skin is crispy, about 45–50 minutes.
Add a cup or so of the sherry peppers sauce to a large bowl, add the baked wings and toss to coat well.
Rearrange the wings on the baking rack and return to the oven until caramelized, another ten minutes.
Remove and enjoy – hot from the oven or nibbled cold from the fridge as a midnight snack – it is all good.