I have an amazing barbecue tip to share with you today. You probably already know, but for me, it was a first and a revelation. It's easy really. Basically, it's this. Cook your chicken wings until they are cooked and crispy, then coat them in sauce and cook again to seal in the sauce and crisp up the outside. For me, this was extremely exciting because I hate nothing more than a flabby chicken wing with sauce all over your fingers. This method ensures that the wing stays crisp and the sauce isn't too wet. Henceforth, let it be known that there is no excuse for limp wings.
The empty fridge remedy that I mentioned in the title is in fact a little bit misleading. The fridge wasn't exactly empty, there were four small bell peppers in there, but they weren't completely necessary, so I'm sure I can be forgiven. The remedy was a tin of cooked baby potatoes in the cupboard, the kind that nearly every household in the UK will have at least one of and a lot of North American too. What could we do to complement the burgers and chicken wings? Potato salad maybe? We decided to try grilling them, which was more successful than it sounds.
Like most tinned or canned vegetables, the potatoes have a slight chemical taste from the canning liquid and an unusual texture, a little more mealy than freshly cooked. Grilling them produced some nice charred, caramelized edges and really lessened the artificial flavour.
We mixed them with the peppers, which were also grilled and left to steam for a while to loosen the skin.
It was a surprising success. We left the potatoes whole, which meant more charred areas and mixed with the sweetened peppers, they were almost like a Mediterranean version of potato salad, cleaner and brighter than being swamped with mayonnaise. Recipe at bottom of post
Once the wings had been coated in the sauce, they were relegated to the top shelf of the barbecue to crisp, to ensure the sugar-y barbecue sauce didn't burn if too close to the heat.
Recipe : Extra crispy saucy wings
16 - 20 wings
4 tbsp sauce, anything you like
Grill the wings in the usual way until well cooked, browned and crispy.
Pour 2 tbsp sauce into a bowl and add half the wings. Turn the wings in the sauce until they are evenly coated and place back on the grill, (preferably on the top shelf or away from very hot heat)
Repeat with the remaining sauce and wings and keep grilling and turning until they crisp again.
Recipe : Tinned potatoes with grilled peppers
1 tin (can) cooked baby potatoes
4 small or 2 large bell peppers
Salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
First, grill the peppers until the skins are blackened and place into a ziploc bag or a dish covered with clingfilm. This is to steam the peppers, which will loosen the skins and make them easier to peel.
After 10 minutes or so, remove the peppers from the bag and slip the skins off. Remove the seeds and stalk and slice the flesh into strips. Place in a bowl, drizzle on the oil and vinegar and season lightly with the salt and pepper. Leave to stand while you grill the potatoes.
Drain the potatoes of the liquid and rinse with cold water a few times. Drain on paper towels and grill on the barbecue until char marks appear and they are hot through.
Mix with the peppers and serve.
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