Sweet and Spicy Wings, #4

I'm still trying to get it right.  And until I do, I or my guests will just have to keep eating my attempts.
I'm talking about my sweet and spicy wings.  Which I did try in Canada for the first time, so these do qualify as sorta Canadian . Oh, umm, by the way-

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

Now, that I got that out of the way, back to the regular post.

I made some for Tapas last weekend, and they were closer to my vision of the taste I'm trying for.   Or at least the taste I remember from a few years back.  I'd gone out for Chinese food with one of my sisters and while the rest of the food we had was meh, ok, I fell in love with the wings.   They were sweet, tangy, fruity and slightly hot.
Awhile ago I decided I wanted to try recreating those wings, so I started tinkering, and twiddling and playing around with wings trying to get it right.

This is attempt number 4, if you're counting.  And each time I get a little closer to the taste I'm striving for.

First off, I cut the chicken wings into drums and flats and laid them out on a shallow, rimmed baking platter

I made a gastrique out of blackberry jelly and rice wine vinegar, added Oyster Sauce, some of the Ken's Soy Ginger salad dressing I had in the fridge, about a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger from the frozen ginger root I keep in the freezer, sesame seed oil and more soy sauce.  Tasted it , then added a couple of minced garlic cloves.  Heated all that together until the garlic surrendered some of its garlickyness.   Then I threw in a couple of Thai Chile peppers and a few red pepper flakes.   I heated them up, let the cook just a tad, then tasted it again.   It was a little too twangy, so I added some local honey, and tasted it again.  And this time, it was about right.  I set the sauce aside while I cooked the chicken wings.  The full recipe and instructions are at the end here. 
 Lay the chicken out in a single layer in a shallow rimmed baking pan.   Cook in a 350 deg. oven for 30 minutes.

While they are baking, prepare the sauce, by combining all the ingredients apart from the chicken and sesame seeds, in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, and take off the heat.

 This is the local honey I used, it is Gallflower honey and was very good. 









Pour a little of the sauce over the wings, or just brush them with the sauce and return to the oven.

I then turned the oven down to 250 degrees, and let the wings cook low and slow for about 20 minutes, basted them again, let them cook for another 20 minutes,

then did a final baste and turned the oven up to 450 degrees for a final 10 minutes or so.  You do need to monitor them at this point, but this will let you get a nice glaze on the wings.

Pulled them out of the oven, and then started taking pictures.

Well, I did sample a couple, had to make sure they were edible.  And they were.

I also decided they needed to be pynt (decorated) up a little so I went out and raided the cilantro plant.

And there it is for attempt number 4.
Almost sounds like a song title, hmmm....

Yield: 6 servingsAuthor: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking (inspired by many recipes)

Sweet and Spicy Wings

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 1 hour and 30 MINStotal time: 1 hours and 45 mins

These sweet and spicy wings are great, as a snack, an appetizer or for a meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs, wings, flats and drums
• 1/2 cup Blackberry Jelly
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup Sweet Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• 2-3 teaspoons honey, to taste (you can also use brown sugar here instead)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Ken's Soy and Ginger Dressing
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (I keep some in the freezer)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1-2 Thai Chile Peppers
• Sesame Seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lay the chicken out in a single layer in a shallow rimmed baking pan.   Cook in a 350 deg. oven for 30 minutes.
2.  While they are baking, prepare the sauce, by combining all the ingredients apart from the chicken and sesame seeds, in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, and take off the heat. 
3. Pour a little of the sauce over the wings, or just brush them with the sauce and return to the oven. Turn the oven down to 250 degrees, and let the wings cook low and slow for about 20 minutes, baste them again, let them cook for another 20 minutes. Do a final baste and turn the oven up to 450 degrees for a final 10 minutes or so.  You do need to monitor them at this point, but this will let you get a nice glaze on the wings.

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