The only thing better than a sticky and spicy chicken wing is a whole plate of them. Yes, we know, the June-uary Vancouver weather can be unpredictable, but whenever has that stopped us from living our best lives?
Get that barbecue out and cleaned up, because grilling season is here. And what better way to kick things off than with a new twist on an old favourite? From the mind of Juke Fried Chicken chef and co-owner Bryan Satterford, here’s a recipe that combines Middle Eastern and Asian flavours to help you up your home wing game.
The bonus? Wings can be easily individually portioned for safe social gatherings. Just add beer.
Tahini Glazed Chicken wings
Makes 1 kilogram grilled chicken wings
Ingredients
1 kilogram brined chicken wings, dried with a paper towel (recipe below)
1 recipe of tahini glaze, roughly 1.5 cups (recipe below)
Toasted sesame seeds
Urfa chili pepper flakes
Cilantro
Grilled lemon halves
Method
Preferably grill wings on a charcoal barbecue, but a gas grill will also work.
Cook over medium low heat. Because the wings are brined, they will brown and burn more quickly than normal.
Turn wings every few minutes and rotate to compensate for hot spots on the grill.
After the first few turns, start glazing the wings with a grill brush and continue to do so on every turn until the sauce is finished.
Wings should take roughly 15– 20 minutes depending on the heat of the grill.
Once cooked, place on a platter and finish by sprinkling toasted sesame seeds, chili flakes, chopped cilantro, and a good squeeze from the grilled lemon.
Brined Chicken Wings
Photo courtesy of Juke Fried Chicken.
Ingredients
1.5 litres water
1 kilogram chicken wings, either split or whole, depending on your preference
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon poultry spice
½ teaspoon turmeric, ground
½ teaspoon whole coriander seed
Zest of one lemon
3 sprigs of thyme
Method
Add water, salt, sugar, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves to a pot and bring to a boil.
When at a boil, remove from the heat and whisk in spices, herbs, and lemon zest and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once at room temperature, strain the brine and place in the fridge until cold.
Once cold, pour brine over wings and brine at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Remove wings from the brine and pat dry with paper towel before grilling.
Tahini Glaze
Makes about 1.5 cups of sauce.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoons Urfa chili flakes
2 preserved lemons, just the skin, remove and discard the flesh
¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup honey
½ cup cider vinegar
1 litre chicken stock** or water
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
Method
Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic, and sweat until both become golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.
Add chili flakes and preserved lemon peel followed by tahini, miso, and tomato paste; cook to dissolve the pastes into the oil.
Once pastes are all evenly incorporated, add the honey and slightly caramelize.
Deglaze the pan with vinegar, chicken stock or water, and soy and bring sauce to a simmer and allow to reduce by 1/3.
Blend sauce in a blender and refrigerate until ready to use.
**Note: If using store-bought chicken stock, be sure to purchase a low-sodium version or cut back the amount of tamari added by ½.
For more sizzling local recipes, read our Food and Drink section.
