Something for the weekend! Spicy chicken wings.

Spicy baked chicken wings

I love an absolute bargain basement ingredient and chicken wings are a prime example.

I have to admit to having mixed feelings about this product.  Nine times out of ten I would far prefer to buy a whole bird and do what I can with the various bits; it's good value and stretches the brain and the fridge contents. It also feels less wasteful of the original bird. One chicken = three meals (casserole thighs and legs, stir fry the breasts with vegetables and make soup with anything left).  Sometimes I have to admit that I do make an exception.  My lovely local butcher in Winchcombe (quick plug for Browns! http://www.brownsbutchers-winchcombe.co.uk/) always comes up trumps.  If you have a good butcher in the area make friends with them (by good I mean a butcher who doesn't just sell ready shrink wrapped cuts).  Go in frequently and ask their advice.  Don't be afraid to ask what's cheap and what you can do with it. Believe me, they want your business and definitely want you to come back.  If you can afford prime meat fine but there's plenty of other stuff available. At least I know that the butchers have used the rest of the bird to sell as other products (boned, skinned breasts, whole legs and carcasses to the restaurants for stock).

Chicken wings are fabulously cheap and tasty and make brilliant snack food.  I've just finished a mammoth sort out of my freezer and found a bumper pile which I bought before Christmas. Now defrosted I've rubbed them with a whole load of spices before putting them into my fridge until the weekend. Over the next few days they will absorb the various spicy flavours, will be cooked and eaten from a shared from a large platter whilst I put my feet up in front of a film.

To my large bowl of wings I added:

3 dessert spoons of Harissa powder
3 dessert spoons of dried mint

2 spoons of Cayenne

2 spoons of Cumin

2 spoons of Ginger

1 teaspoon of allspice

It's an entirely personal and can be added to or removed at will.  There's definitely scope to up the heat with extra chilli or Cayenne and quantities will obviously vary depending on how many wings you are preparing.  When you are ready to cook the wings tip them into a roasting tin to which you've added about a tablespoon of oil and bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes or longer (depending on how crispy you want them).  I usually shake over more of the spices and you can add chilli sauce before or after baking.  If you want your wings sticky and sweet then toss them in some honey before cooking.  (If so, put a sheet of foil under the wings, it'll stop the honey burning onto the roasting tin). 

This is THE most fantastic party food (as long as your guests are good at putting the bones into a bowl rather than hiding them under the cushions of your sofa).  

Serve with salad if you like, a spicy vinaigrette (add chives or herb of preference) or, if you prefer a cooler alternative, the easiest yogurt dip ever:

Easiest yoghurt dip in the world

This is a super simple raita style dip. It's a brilliant cool accompaniment to pretty much any spicy food.

Tub of natural yoghurt.

Couple of spoon fulls of mint sauce.

Stir together until the yoghurt is sufficiently minty and you like the flavour.

Roll on Saturday!