Wing yourself into a party

Stuck inside with the same old same old? The other night I discovered there’s a simple way to feel like I’m having a party: make chicken wings for dinner. There’s nothing quite like biting into a sticky, spicy-sweet, delectably caramelized chicken wing. It’s happiness in every bite. Transport yourself into another realm by devouring these heavenly wings. In normal times (will we ever know “normal” again?), these were an ideal dish served kitchen-side, waiting for the main course.

As a general rule, there are four to five wings to a pound. The average person will eat six wings. This recipe is good for eight pounds of wings. Remember to start by discarding the wing tips, then cutting the wing in half, separating the drumstick and the flat. Wings are excellent the next day, so having leftovers is a plus.

Party Wings 

6 servings

8 pounds chicken wings, tips discarded, drumstick and flat part cut apart

Marinade

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons any flavor pepper jelly (or substitute with 1 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 shakes Tabasco
1 tablespoon sweet chile sauce
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Chicken Wings

2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Start eight to 24 hours before serving by placing the prepared wings in a Ziploc bag. Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over the wings. Seal bag and refrigerate. Shake the bag a few times to evenly distribute marinade.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Line baking sheets large enough to hold the wings in a single layer with tinfoil and place a cooling rack on top. You can bake the wings directly on the tinfoil, but you will need to lightly oil it to avoid sticking and also drain the wings periodically as they let off a lot of liquid while baking. (In my makeshift kitchen, I had to just use tinfoil and carefully drained it twice.) Transfer wings from the marinade to a large bowl. Reserve all marinade and pour it into a saucepan. Sprinkle wings with salt and pepper, then toss with oil. Place wings on the tinfoil or the racks. Bake for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake another 20 minutes.

3. When wings are in the oven, bring the marinade to a boil over medium heat and stir. Cook and reduce until marinade is thick and syrup-like. Remove from heat and cool.

4. After the wings have baked for 40 minutes, remove them from the oven and place them in a large bowl. Toss in the reduced marinade, evenly distributing and coating the wings. Drain excess fat from baking pans, then place wings back on the tinfoil or the racks and return to the oven. If any marinade remains in the bowl, brush it on the wings after 5 minutes of cooking. Flip wings. Cook until richly browned, approximately 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and enjoy. Be sure to have a stack of napkins handy.