When Life Gives You Wings

When life gives you wings... 

There are two types of people in the world.  First,  ones that love chicken  breast pieces and the others that like the leg pieces .  But there is a special sub sect, that I feel , has risen above these two and evolved into a finer,  more refined , chicken lover. It is the ‘ wing lover’. I know people who hate wings because  there is so little flesh or  too much bone,  but for me,  it's totally worth the effort.  The tender juicy meat  under the lovely layer  of skin, even the thought makes me go weak in the knees. I confess,  I have this relationship  with wings.  In true sense,  it is my comfort food.  

Coming to the basics.  I'm a chef  and I first check out how well I can cook that cut of poultry.  The whole wing can be divided into three parts.  The drummette,  the wingette,  and the tip.  The drumette is the part that attaches the wing to the breast.  It's a single thicker bone which when fringed gives us the much adored lollipop ( which I personally  detest) .  Next is the wingette,  which is the most beautiful  part of the wing.  Less tendons  make this little strip of flesh , trapped between two thin bones,  absolutely  moist and juicy.  The Tip is usually the part that people discard or throw into stock,  as it is gelatinous  and does not have too much meat.  Also, it tends to burn very fast.  But if you are a rustic  wing lover like me, you will cook the wings intact. 

So lets get down to business.  I'm compiling a list for my fellow wing lovers who end up eating those horrid red drums of heaven and never get chance to enjoy the bliss of eating regular chicken wings.  Top seven favorite wings of the city. 

Peri peri wings : Barcelos  

Firstly,  full mark to this place to be one of the very few outlets to serve wings uncut.  So the three parts are intact as God wanted them to be.  The chicken  is skin on,  and is fire cooked, so no thick batter.  I always chose the Supa Peri,  but you can have a milder sauce. The wings are moist and delicious.  

Smoked  and Grilled wings  :  Chili's 

This is the perfect wing for people who don't like spice and also like to give the sugar loaded barbecue  a miss. It is  plain, simple,  juicy,  and unadulterated  bite of heaven. Again,  it's grilled so no battery or flour.  The skin crisps up well  and they give huge portion sizes.  

Jerk chicken wings: TGIF 

If chicken wings aren't  enough,  why don't we just put them on skewers and alternate them with pineapple,  grill them with a spice rub and just fly  with the first bite.  Again a non fried variety,  the skin is beautifully textured and the smokiness is class apart.  

Chicken Wings with  Wine Jus : Irish House 

The comfort of a Sunday roast chicken with the fun of wings, it's like a match made in heaven.  This is another star. The meat is tender as it's slow cooked and the jus is spot on. This is very comforting and a soothing to the taste buds. A great combination  with a sangria. 

Ghost Chili  Wings : My Big Fat Belly 

If you like it hot, this is the one. They have three grades of heat on offer .  Soft juicy wings tossed in bhut jholakia chillies  from Nagaland.  I love heat and this baby can make you sweat.  And of you are man enough,  they have a wing challenge.  Spicy food lovers will love this.  

Barbecue  Chili Wings : The Fat Monk 

Another spicy food favorite. They have four variants in wings but the barbecue  chili  is my pick.  The smoky flavors of Barbecue  are blended with  with dalle  chilies  from the north east.  It is an absolutely divine combination .  Coming from the same house as The Blue Poppy,  this is a sure winner.  

Sticky Korean Wings : Hoppipolla 

This is my favorite  sweet sauce of the city. The portion isn't huge,  but the black,  soy based,  caramelized sweet sauce just hits the right notes.  I don't drink and I just go to a bar to eat the wings.  They sometimes top it with spring onions and sometimes with sesame.  Both taste good.   

Well those are  my top picks for wings in the city.  I'm also sharing a recipe of my home cooked honey roasted wings,  zero oil and absolute  winners at all my parties.  

Ingredients 

For water glaze 

Chicken wings 1 kg

Honey 6 tbsp

Water 2 cups

Cinnamon powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For marinade 

Honey 3 tbsp

Cider vinegar 3 tbsp

Cayenne pepper 3 tsp

Pepper 3 tsp

5 spice powder 1 tbsp

Garlic paste 1 tbsp

Salt

Fish sauce 1 tsp

 --Heat all ingredients for the glaze and bring to a boil 
 --add the chicken wings at last and bring to a boil 
 --strain and cool under a fan 

--Mix all ingredients for the marinade and microwave for 30 seconds  
--rub it on the air dried chicken wings and keep aside for an hour 
--Cook on a grill in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius 
--cook for 45 mins covered and then 15 min uncovered


DISCLAIMER :

This compilation was made for The Tekegraph - T2 ,  The original link to the article is

https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170208/jsp/t2/story_134492.jsp#.WQ9nLuGGPDc

none of the above listings  are sponsored and all pictures are clicked by me .