Monday, January 16, 2012

Three flavors of Wings!

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This post comes about because of a mis-hap at a local restaurant(and because it's football season and the superbowl is upon us).  My dad, son and I went out to dinner the other night and I had a hankering for some chicken wings.  Wings are definitely a type of food that I get cravings for and once that craving sets in, I GOTTA have it!  They are perfect with an ice cold beer and can come in sooooo many different flavors.  From hot wings(medium, mild, atomic, catastrophic, habanero. I think you get the picture.) to bbq wings, lemon pepper, teriyaki, parmesan, honey mustard and the list goes on.  So back to the story, I ordered my 6 wings, mild.  You see I don't like my wings super hot so I can't taste anything for a week after, but I do like a good amount of heat so I have to take a few swigs of beer after each bite.  And so, mild it was, which, when I looked at the menu quickly it was the second choice of hotness.  Or so I thought. Unfortunately, I did not actually read the first one which was the lemon pepper rub!  Ugh! To my dismay when I received my wings(the ones I had been craving forever) they were not spicy at all and very bland at that.  I was a little bummed.  Well probably more than a little and I guess I could of got a side hot sauce, but that is just not the same.  So because of my lack of using the wonderful things we call eyes and actually reading things instead of thinking I know what's up, this brings us to my chicken wing extravaganza! Be excited! So I went a little overboard with it all.  Instead of just making myself some hot wings, which a normal person might do(oh and I have never claimed to normal btw!) I made four different kinds.  I will also tell you that choosing only four kinds to make was extremely difficult for me.  But, I did not want to overwhelm anyone with my 20 wing ideas!  
Four it is....


On my trek to the grocery store to buy all the things I needed for my wings I ran into something wonderful.  Now this may have been around for a while here at Publix, but I have never seen it before. I will warn you I get excited over the little things in life, like create your own six packs!  This is lovely I tell you, so lovely that I just had to pick a few or six out to go with my wings!  What a perfect day!  Don't worry, for all you out there who don't drink beer, I will also give a wine suggestion to go with your wings, yes, wine.  It can go with wings I promise!  It's like a trying to be fancy when you know you are not kind of pairing!  Anyway, back to my beer...which the only downfall to this wonderful addition to Publix is the height of the top beer shelves.  Being in a chair now, I have limited reach, and if any of you know me, it is a huge deal to go ask for help! Phew, it's like after I ask for help I need to go take a nap.  It is a hard task, but I am learning SLOWLY to get over it!  Needless to say I saved the asking for help for next time and went for the lower shelved beer! Ha.  I was just too excited and couldn't wait to get home to make my wings and try my beer to go find help this time.  And yes my beer choosing skills are so precisely honed that I go for the ones with the coolest label or most colorful, best words, ones with lemons and so on! 

*In case you do not do beer, look next to the Ingredients for a wine    
    suggestion!










Utensils:
Bowls
Tongs
Sheet pans
Small saucepan(for the chili bbq, pepper parm and buffalo)
Aluminum foil
Whisk(for buffalo)
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups


Before being baked, Chili BBQ and Ginger Teriyaki
Ingredients for Chili BBQ:
1 package chicken wings(about 12 wings)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup worchestershire sauce
3T roasted garlic chili paste
*Syrah



Combine all these ingredients in a bowl.
Add chicken wings about 10-20 minutes before cooking.
Cover and place in fridge.


Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Take wings out using tongs and put onto aluminum foil lined sheet pans.(don't skip this step because you will be cleaning the sheet pan for days if you don't use aluminum)
Cook for about 15-20 minutes. 
While the wings are cooking place any remainder sauce in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or so.  Once the wings are pulled out of the oven, use this sauce to baste the cooked wings.

Ingredients for Ginger Teriyaki:
1 package chicken wings(about 12 wings)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

*Merlot

Combine all these ingredients in a bowl.
Add chicken wings about 10-20 minutes before cooking.
Cover and place in fridge.


Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Take wings out using tongs and put onto aluminum foil lined sheet pans.(don't skip this step because you will be cleaning the sheet pan for days if you don't use aluminum)
Cook for about 15-20 minutes. 



Before being baked - Black Pepper Parmesan and Buffalo
Ingredients for Black Pepper Parmesan:
1 package chicken wings(about 12 wings)
8oz grated parmesan
3oz ground black pepper
1 1/2T salt 
1oz butter, melted
*Zinfandel


Combine all ingredients except for butter.
Place wings in butter and lightly coat.
Remove from butter and put them in the bowl of pepper parmesan mix.
Coat completely and pack the mixture onto the wing.


Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Take wings out of bowl using tongs and put onto aluminum foil lined sheet pans.(don't skip this step because you will be cleaning the sheet pan for days if you don't use aluminum)
Cook for about 15-20 minutes. 
To get a super crispy outside, I usually turn the broiler on high and put them under that. 
If you do this, be sure to crack the oven slightly and stand right next to it to watch them.
Crisp them up to your liking.


Ingredients for Buffalo:
1 package chicken wings(about 12 wings)
1 stick butter(4oz)
8oz hot sauce
1T salt
*Champagne(Wishes and Hot Wing Dreams!)

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Salt wings in a bowl.

Take wings out of bowl using tongs and put onto aluminum foil lined sheet pans.(don't skip this step because you will be cleaning the sheet pan for days if you don't use aluminum)

Cook for about 15-20 minutes. 

While they are cooking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan.

Add the hot sauce and bring to a boil. 

Be sure to whisk together completely.

Now since I am not frying the wings to get that crispy outside, I usually turn the broiler on high and put them under that. 

If you do this, be sure to crack the oven slightly and stand right next to it to watch them.

Crisp them up to your liking.

Take them out of the oven and then toss in the hot sauce mixture.






Oh and don't forget the BBQ Frogs Legs! Uh yeah, don't ask! 







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3 comments:

  1. Oh yummmmmmy! I LOVE wings :-)

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  2. Hey Nikkie,

    I usually make chicken peri-peri or devil wings and yes they are a treat and good for any occasion.

    I will try these recipes you have given because I do like variety and of course I love to experiment with new ideas to break the monotony of the flavours of the dishes I make.

    My son Darryn bought some Turkey wings and cooked them up last night after marinading them for about 24 hours. I have to say they weren't that special because the skin was rubbery and the meat was tough. Any suggestions on how to prepare and cook these turkey wings?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there!
      Yes, it's always nice to break the monotony when it comes to food! Good for the soul.
      My first thought with those turkey wings is to smoke them. First I would brine it and then smoke it for a while. Other than that, roasting would be my next option or take all the meat off the bone and create something out of it then. Slice it like a chicken breast once off the bone and cooked.

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