Chicken Wings

     I love chicken wings. Deep fried, baked, barbecued, saucy, or dry, I love them all. They are an easy cocktail party hors d'oeuvres or just a great snack. I have literally eaten thousands of them.

Terri and I

     One night, Terri, Ron (sorry Ron, no picture) and I ate 260 wings at a local pub, I thought that the waitress was going to faint when we ordered. Nothing succeeds like excess.

     This is my favourite dry rub for wings. It isn't spicy, just flavourful and delicious. You can ramp up the chilies if you want or add the heat after you cook them. This is Ferd's mother's recipe.

Ferd, well, being Ferd, you can almost hear that spontaneous burst of song coming on



Dry Rub for Chicken Wings

Ingredients

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

1 pound/500 grams chicken wings

Directions

Combine all spices in a bowl and mix until well combined. Add chicken wings and toss until  wings are well coated with spices. Let sit at least one hour or overnight.

     I always cut up my chicken wings, they are easier to handle. I keep the wing tips, freeze them and add them to chicken or turkey bones when I make stock. Another frugal cook tip, nothing gets wasted.

     The spices are a guide, you can increase or decrease the individual amounts according to your taste. I like it exactly the way it is, even with all that salt.

    These freeze really well and Ferd and I typically make these in 10 or 15 lbs batches. That way we have some on hand. They never last though, fair warning.

     These can be baked, deep fried or put on the barbecue, I've done it all. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook for another 30 to 45 min. The initial high heat makes the wings come out crispy, I'm getting hungry just thinking about them. I have a deep fryer and cook these about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. They take about the same amount of time on the barbecue, maybe a little longer. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the wings. I have cooked them from frozen, but don't recommend it.

     Freeze them on a cookie sheet then bag them. That way they don't stick together in a big ball. They also thaw a lot faster if you can separate them.

    Serve them with blue cheese dip, spicy barbecue sauce or just eat them plain. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.