I’ve been tinkering with my recipe for chicken wings – we actually prefer to use the ‘drumettes’ conveneniently sold at my local market – and believe it’s time to do an update on an old favorite.
I’ve cut down on the salt – can’t believe I didn’t think to before – and added some extra flavor in the form of granulated onion and garlic – ditto – then changed things up a bit with my candy apple or atomic fire sauce.
All in all, I’m calling this version the winner.
INGREDIENTS
Wings:
•1-3/4 lb wings (I used drumettes)
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/2 tsp celery salt
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•1/2 tsp granulated garlic
•1/2 tsp granulated onion
•1 tbsp safflower oil
Sauce:
•1-3/4 cup (14 oz) roasted apple sauce
•2 cups Fireball whiskey
•1/4 cup Sherry Peppers Sauce
•1 tbsp Tabasco Chipotle
•1 tbsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce
•1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•1/2 tsp my Garam Masala
•1/2 cup brown sugar
•1 tbsp white sugar
Note 1: wanna try the wings but not the sauce? Cool – just melt a stick of unsalted butter and stir in a jar of your preferred hot sauce. Dip the partially cooked wings in this, then continue baking. Serve with good blue cheese dressing.
If you do wanna make the sauce my way, simply still all of the ingredients together in a large pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 or 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Note 2: this’ll be more than enough sauce for even twice the amount of wings called for, so mebbe pour off half into a freezer container for a quick fix later on.
Heat your oven to 400° and apply cooking spray to a rack set into a foil lined baking pan (y’know, one of those ‘half sheet’ pan and rack combos).
Rinse the chicken wings off and pat dry, then add, with the seasonings, to a gallon sized zipper bag. Close the bag and give it a good shake, then add the oil and shake again.
Note 3: I had made double batch of wings for a Book Club gathering, so divided the wings into two separate zipper bag batches, both with their own measures of seasoning and oil.
Arrange the wings in a single layer on the rack and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, toss the wings in the sauce to coat, then rearrange on the rack and pop back into the oven for another 10 to fifteen minutes.
Note 4: I left some of the wings without the sauce for folk who had dietary issues; it turns out they were even nice plain, so I’ll call that a win, win!
Remove the wings from the oven and serve.
Note 5: wanna try these, but not crazy about ‘Buffalo style’ and not really interested in making this sauce?
No worries!
Simply toss your partially baked wings in your choice of stuff: sherry peppers sauce (always a good pick), mebbe Terryaki, heck, even plain old barbecue sauce; it really is all good.
Go on, enjoy your wings.