So my dear friend and classmate from college recently traveled to the mystical land of Portugal and got me a lovely bottle of Extra-hot Piri Piri sauce from there. To give you a little backstory… for a stereotypical Indian, my threshold for spice is ridiculously low. I have seen four year old kids of our friends eat more spice than me. Thus, you can imagine how foolish it was of me to dip my (clean) finger inside the PiriPiri sauce bottle and lick it in one go. After that, I just remember screaming for one whole minute. It felt like my mouth was on fire. I asked hubby to help me but he was too busy laughing his head off! Anyway, it got better after a while, and the first thing that popped in my mind after tasting that sauce was- HOT WINGS!! It was a match made in heaven.
I wanted to make the baked version instead of the deep-fried one. I was a bit apprehensive that they might dry out in the oven but nothing of that sort happened. The wings turned out to be extremely moist and juicy. Literally finger-licking good!
My friend assured me that the spice level in the sauce gets better after cooking and sure enough, after the wings were baked, it reduced to the level that I could enjoy heartily. The sauce gave them a good kick and the honey in the marinade nicely nuetralized the spicyness and gave a sweet, sticky texture to the wings. You can substitute the Piripiri sauce with any hot sauce of your choice. Frank’s hot sauce seems to be a particular favorite to make these wings. Also, do not substitute the secret ingredient- Baking powder (not soda) while making this snack. It really contributes in giving the skin its crispyness, which is tricky to achieve sometimes.
If anyone says to me that they are not a fan of wings, I am judging them to high heaven!! CHICKEN WINGS ARE LIFE!! I can live off them for a loooong time. Give them a go friends, and enjoy! xx
Ingredients:
1 kg Chicken wings
1/2 cup Hot Sauce of your choice
1 tbsn Honey
2 tbsn Butter
1.5 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Freshly ground Black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tsp Olive oil or Vegetable Oil
Method:
In a large bowl, gently toss your chicken wings with Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Oil, Baking Powder and Garlic powder. Transfer to the refrigerator uncovered for minimum 1 hour so that the meat dries.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Place the wings on a wire rack over the baking tray lined with foil (for any drippings) and bake for 35 minutes, flipping them halfway. The baking time may vary according to the different ovens, so keep an eye on them after the first 25 minutes. Take them out when they look golden and crispy. Set aside.
To make your sauce, transfer your hot sauce and honey in a pan and whisk until smooth. Put on very gentle simmer.
Add the butter and cook the sauce on low until it looks slightly reduced and thick.
Transfer the baked wings in a bowl and toss them in sauce until they all look gloriously coated.
Return the coated wings to the wiring rack and grill/broil for 5-6 minutes until they look charred and the sauce caramelizes.
Serve hot with ranch dressing or dip of your own choice. Enjoy!
Afoodiehousewife 