Sticky, lemony and peppery, these wings are finger lickin’ good
Chicken wings require no utensils and should be strictly eaten with your fingers. This is unpretentious dining at its best.
Chicken wings are hands down my favourite part of the bird. They require no utensils and should be strictly eaten with your fingers; this is unpretentious dining at its best.
At my place, these wings are often served with nothing else (I find immense happiness in indulging in them midweek, cradling a bowl in my lap, relaxing in front of the TV, and licking my fingers with gusto as I go), although a slaw is a lovely accompaniment to round this out and make it a proper meal.
Despite their humbleness, treating chicken wings with the same care as any other cut of meat pays dividends. For the ultimate wing you want to render the meat and cartilage to make it intensely chewy, while getting the skin crispy – and, top it all off with a sticky, delicious marinade. Here, I’ve managed to achieve all three, and I must admit, I’m quite smug about it all.
The first step is to leave the wings to dry out in the fridge overnight. If you’re stuck for time, try at least to find four hours for this step; you will notice the difference it makes. Adding baking powder to your seasoning is another trick; it causes a reaction with the moisture in the skin, resulting in skin that is so crisp after baking that it almost shatters when you first bite into it. Before meeting the marinade, the wings go into a hot oven until they are golden and crisp. Then I toss them in a sticky marinade that is a delicate balance of sweet honey, zesty lemon, mustard and the subtle warmth of pepper. It feels a little more grown-up than the heavy wing marinades we are used to. It’s both savoury and sweet, and 100 per cent moreish.
I prefer to cut my wings into three pieces: the wingette (the flat, middle section), the drumette (where the wing joins the body) and the wing tip (which I discard, or store in the freezer for making broth later). This way, they are smaller and easier to eat than serving them whole.
There is always a healthy debate over which part is better, too. Butcher shops will either sell them already prepared like this or can cut them for you. Alternatively, it’s easy to prepare them at home by cutting through the joints. These are best eaten with my rainbow slaw.
Sticky lemon and pepper chicken wings
Ingredients
- 2kg chicken wings
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup honey
- 125ml lemon juice, plus a spritz to serve
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
- If your wings are not jointed, cut them into three pieces following the joint – the wing tip, the wingette (middle section), and the drumette (where the wing joins the body).Pat your wings (wingette and drumette) dry with paper towel. Arrange them in a single layer, skin side up, on a wire cake cooling rack, over a foiled-lined tray (this foil protection aids in clean-up later). You may need to use two trays. Place in the fridge uncovered to dry out (minimum of 4 hours but ideally overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 220C. Place wings in a bowl. Add garlic powder, salt, black pepper and baking powder. Toss to evenly coat.
- Arrange the wings back on the wire racks again, skin side up, ensuring they’re not overcrowded. Giving them space helps achieve extra crispiness. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, prepare your sticky lemon and pepper glaze. Add honey, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to a large, deep saucepan. The idea here is to coat your wings thoroughly in the sauce using one pot. Alternatively, if your pot isn’t large enough, you can work in batches or transfer everything to a large bowl to toss. Place over medium to low heat and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until it has slightly thickened and the garlic has mellowed.
- Toss the cooked wings into the honey mixture and coat evenly. Using tongs (be careful, they’ll be hot), lay the wings back out on your racks and bake for an additional 10 minutes to set the glaze. Arrange the wings on a plate, zest over lemon and give an extra squeeze of juice. Serve immediately. Serves 4