Tabasco Sweet and Tart Glazed Wings

Copyright 2007 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Sweet, tart and snappy with healthy shots of hot sauce, grilled to near potato chip crispness, in my book the chicken wing approaches celestial perfection.

Years ago I was told the Chinese revere the poultry wing because it is neither light nor dark meat, but a melding of both. My take is nothing pulls in flavor and crisps up in cooking quite like the wing. It's that wonderful proportion of luscious skin to meat and bone. Give these wings plenty of marinating time and keep your fire low so most of their fat cooks off as the skin crisps. One last thing: no "drummies" please. This recipe is for the entire wing because each of its three sections is a different eating experience.

Serves 4 to 6

Excellent hot, at room temperature, or cold, these will keep 5 days in the refrigerator and reheat nicely.

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 14 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 3 to 4 pounds chicken wings with wing tips, rinsed (organic preferred)


• Cucumber Stick Salad (recipe follows)

1. Two days before cooking, combine all ingredients, except the wings, in a bowl. Taste for hot/sweet/sour/salt balance, and adjust to your preference. Flavors should be strong.

2. Pierce each wing in several places with a knife to help the marinade penetrate. Place the wings in heavy plastic zip-top bags and divide the marinade between them. Seal and refrigerate 2 days, turning bags occasionally for even marinating.

3. Two hours or so before serving set up the charcoal grill for indirect grilling so you have a hot zone, a medium-hot zone and most of the cooking area is the low heat cooking zone. Do this by piling the preheated wood charcoal deepest against one side of the grill so the pile thins toward the center. When the coals have a grey ash on them, drain the wings from their marinade, saving the marinade in a saucepan, and arrange them spread out on the grill. You want to move them around so they lightly sear over the hot area and then get moved to the low heat area.

4. Cover the grill and keep the fire at medium-low by adjusting the vents. Cook the wings, turning often and checking for burning, about 90 minutes, or until they are crisp and their meat is tender. As the wings cook, boil their marinade 5 minutes, adding 1/2 cup water to it. In the last 30 minutes of grilling, baste the wings with the marinade. You want them glazed, but not burnt.

5. If using a gas grill, sear the wings over high heat, lower it to medium-low and cook 90 minutes, and as directed in steps 4 and 5.

6. Serve the wings piled on a platter lined with a bed of fresh mint if possible (nothing beats the combination of chiles and sweet mint). I like to have Tabasco on the table for those who believe it's never hot enough.

LYNNE'S TIPS

• Kikkoman is a reliable soy sauce and readily available in most supermarkets.



• Grilling guru Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible! (Workman, 1998) and other titles on grilling, suggests this ingenious tip to ensure the maximum amount of crispy skin: before marinating the wings, arrange them on long bamboo skewers, starting at the wing tip and threading the skewer through the wing so it lies flat and straight.



• Marinades and basting sauces containing sweeteners, like the apricot jam in this recipe, burn easily. Keep turning the food and move it to a cooler part of the grill if needed.



• These wings can be roasted slowly in the oven as well. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread foil over two shallow pans and top with racks (cake cooling racks and half-sheet pans work well). Oil the racks to prevent sticking. Spread the wings out on the racks. Place pans on the middle and bottom oven shelves and roast for about 1-3/4 hours, switching pans between shelves occasionally for even cooking. Every so often, turn the wings, basting with the marinade and piercing with a fork during the first hour of roasting.



On the day even non-cooks are busy in the kitchen, The Splendid Table team is ready to help on-air and online. We've also collected all our Thanksgiving Recipes in one place.

Be notified when new recipes are posted and talk with other fans of the show for people who love to eat.
See what it's all about»

Weeknight Kitchen® is a free weekly e-mail newsletter full of new recipes and tips from Lynne and our guests.
Sign up »
This week's newsletter »

The Splendid Table®, is available in podcast form. Follow the Sterns as they travel the country, hear all our unique and wonderful guests and, as always, Lynne takes your calls, downloaded direct to your computer every week.
Get the podcast