Wings and tailgate. Tailgate and wings. If two words ever went hand-in-hand onto the gridiron, yep, it would be those two. If I say tailgate, you say wings, and, if there is one thing we tailgaters can't resist, it's a new wing-flavor-profile to experiment with. I came across this one in the Parade Magazine insert of my mom's local newspaper about a decade ago. Parade credits the recipe to Michael Gulotta, chef-owner of MoPho and Maypop restaurants in New Orleans. It's a keeper.
The moment I read through the ingredients list, I knew I was gonna love this recipe. For starters the combination of Greek-style yogurt and honey is, um, the bees knees. It's divine. Stir in some Thai seasoning soy, fish sauce and Sriracha. What's not to love about that trio. Personally, I'd be willing to drink the marinade -- it is that good. Chef Gulatta cooks his outside on a gas grill, turning them frequently, while keeping the grill covered in between turns. I did mine inside, in my grill pan, on my gas stove, uncovered. They cooked longer, 25 minutes, but came out perfect.
Hey, Honey! I've got a hankering for some wings!
2 pounds, large, meaty chicken wings, about 20-24 wings (Note from Mel: If you want to push the wing count to 3 pounds, about 30-36 wings, the marinade amount can handle it.)
1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons Thai seasoning soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, to taste (Note: Chef Gulatta says Sambal chile paste can be substituted.)
no-stick cooking spray, for preparing grill grids or grill pan
lime wedges for garnish and for squirting lime juice on wings
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, for sprinkling on wings prior to serving + cilantro sprigs for garnish
~Step 1. In a small bowl, place the yogurt, honey, Thai fish sauce, Thai seasoning soy sauce (not Chinese soy sauce) and Sriracha. Thoroughly stir it all together. Place wings in a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Add all the marinade to bag. Close bag, toss to evenly and thoroughly coat wings in marinade and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, turning/tossing occasionally.
Note. Remove the wings 45-60 minutes prior to cooking them (so they are not ice cold going onto the hot grill grids). Open the bag and using a pair of tongs, remove wings from the marinade, gently shaking all the excess marinaded off, allowing it to drizzle back down into the bag. Transfer marinade to a small bowl and set aside -- it will get used as a basting sauce.
~Step 2. Liberally spray gill pan with no-stick, place on the stovetop and heat over medium- medium-high. Add the wings to pan, as many as will fit without crowding the pan. Cook, regulating the heat over medium- medium-high, using a pair of tongs to turn the wings four times, about every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes, using a pastry brush to lightly baste (dab their tops) every time you flip them over. After 20 minutes, stop basting and spend the next 5-6 minutes turning & flipping the wings constantly, until they are nicely-browned over their entire surface area. The entire process will take 25-30 minutes.
Garnish w/cilantro & lime wedges. Asian broccoli slaw anyone?
Simply & undeniably some of the best wings I've ever eaten:
Grillmarked: Thai-Inspired Hot & Sticky Honey Wings: Recipe yields 20-24 appetizers/4-6 servings/4-6 wings per person.
Special Equipment List: poultry shears; 1-gallon ziplock bag; outdoor gas grill or grill pan on stovetop; tongs; silicon (high-heat safe) pastry brush
Cook's Note: To make my Asian Broccoli Slaw w/Honey-Sesame Dressing, in a medium bowl, place:
1, 12-ounce bag store-bought broccoli cole slaw
For the dressing, whisk together:
1/4 cup each: vegetable oil and white rice vinegar
1 tablespoon each: sesame oil and Thai seasoning soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
Add all of the dressing to slaw, toss together and refrigerate until well-chilled 1-2 hours or overnight.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)
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