Every now and again you stumble back onto something that you always had a soft spot for and when you do, you kind of wonder how you ever let them slip off the grocery list in the first place.
Let's face it, chicken wings are one of those ingredients we all secretly love to see come out at a barbecue or dinner party.
A guilty pleasure, and an excuse to get hands on with something that is deliciously messy.
Economical, versatile and quick to prepare, wings done well, can steal the show.
Here are three ways we like to get down with a bowl of wings, when we don't care who is watching.
Happy times, sticky fingers and bigger grins.
Just good eating!
• Bevan and Monique Smith own Riverstone Kitchen, runner-up Best Regional Restaurant in the 2014 Cuisine Good Food Awards. He is also author of Riverstone Kitchen: recipes from a chef's garden and Riverstone Kitchen Simple. Situated on SH1 in North Otago, just south of the Waitaki bridge, they are open Thursday-Monday from 9am-5pm, and also from 6pm Thursday to Sunday, but closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Salt and pepper wings
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 litres vegetable oil
500g plain flour
5 eggs
250ml milk
2½ Tbsp sea salt
1½ Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2kg chicken wings
¼ green cabbage, finely sliced
1 small carrot, finely shredded or grated
2 spring onions finely chopped
½ small red onion finely sliced
1½ cups Italian parsley, picked
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
Method
Preheat oil in a large pot to 170degC ensuring the oil only half fills the pot. Check temperature with a heat proof thermometer. Whisk the eggs and milk together and place to one side. In a large bowl mix the salt, pepper and flour together, until well combined. In batches dredge the wings in the seasoned flour. Then dip them in the egg wash, then back in the flour. Carefully fry the wings in batches until a deep golden brown before carefully removing them with a slotted spoon, draining well and resting on absorbent paper towel. Place the remaining ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine. Serve salad on the side of the wings and serve immediately.
Caramelised Vietnamese chicken wings
Serve 4
Ingredients
250ml vegetable oil
2 heads garlic, peeled and crushed, or finely chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 cups fish sauce
2 cups sugar
2kg chicken wings
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp sambal Olek, or hot chilli paste (this is fairly hot)
2 cups coriander leaves
4 spring onions finely chopped
½ green pawpaw, finely chopped (optional)
½ cup crispy shallots
Method
Preheat oil in a large pot to 170degC ensuring the oil only half fills the pot. Check temperature with a heat-proof thermometer. Place the garlic into a bowl and pour the water over the garlic. Let infuse for 1 minute, then drain through sieve reserving both garlic and water. Place the garlic water, the fish sauce and the sugar into a pot and whisk together to combine and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce until the liquid becomes a thick syrup. Remove syrup from heat and reserve to one side. Fry the garlic in the oil until a light golden brown and drain on absorbent paper towel. Dust the wings lightly in the flour and carefully fry until golden brown, draining well once done. Place the fried wings into a large frying pan with the syrup and chilli paste over a high heat and as it comes to the boil and reduces, toss or coat the wings constantly taking care not to burn the caramel. Once sticky and deliciously brown and coated, add the coriander and fried garlic. Stir to combine and serve with all the caramel and the remaining ingredients sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.
Pulled chicken wing tortillas with chilli yoghurt and chipotle sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
2kg chicken wings
¼ cup Sriracha chilli sauce
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
salt and pepper
60ml vegetable oil
extra Sriracha chilli sauce
1 cup natural unsweetened yoghurt
16 15cm flour tortillas
2 cups mixed salad greens, finely chopped cabbage etc.
½ carrot finely chopped or grated
¼ cup chipotle sauce
3 limes, cut into wedges, optional
Method
Preheat oven to 200degC. Place the chicken wings, Siracha and garlic into a bowl and toss to combine. Lightly season with a little salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heat proof frying pan and brown wings in the pan before placing into the oven to cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove wings from oven and allow to cool from oven completely before removing the meat from the wings. Discard the bones and reserve the meat to one side. Mix chilli sauce to taste into the yoghurt and keep to one side. Warm the tortillas in the oven, before placing a little of the salad greens and carrot on each along with a dab of chilli yoghurt, shredded chicken meat, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and a little more chilli yoghurt. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
