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Hot wings
There are no rules about how to enjoy our whiskies, and the same goes for how hot you make these wings. Use the sauce however you like - it’s entirely up to you!
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
- imperial
- metric
- 2.2 lb of 3-joint free range chicken wings
- 33 and ¾ fl oz of master chicken brine
- 2 and ½ oz of House rub
- 1 and ¾ oz of unsalted butter
- 1 and ¾ fl oz of cider vinegar
- 1 and ¾ fl oz of hot sauce (see here)
Master Chicken Brine
- 2.2 lb of water
- 33 and ¾ fl oz of Maldon sea salt
- 2 and ½ oz of interesting sugar (muscovado or maple, for instance)
- 1 mixed spice bag (dried chillies, small liquorice stick, peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds)
- 1 bunch of mixed herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary)
- 1 kg of 3-joint free range chicken wings
- 1 litre of master chicken brine
- 70g of House rub
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 50ml of cider vinegar
- 50ml of hot sauce (see here)
Master Chicken Brine
- 4 litres of water
- 360g of Maldon sea salt
- 120g of interesting sugar (muscovado or maple, for instance)
- 1 mixed spice bag (dried chillies, small liquorice stick, peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds)
- 1 bunch of mixed herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary)
METHOD
To make the master chicken brine, add all the ingredients to a large pan and bring to the boil, then leave to cool. Load the wings into the brine and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Prepare a barbecue for smoking and set the temperature to 105°C or 220°F.
Remove the wings from the brine and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper. Rub them all over with the house rub. Smoke the wings in the barbecue for 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking after 30-45 minutes and giving them a turn. They need to reach an internal temperature of at least 70°C or 158°F on your meat probe. Once smoked, remove them from the barbecue.
Meanwhile, put the butter, vinegar and hot sauce into a large pan and bring to the boil. Whisk until the mixture has emulsified.
When ready to cook, adjust up the barbecue for direct grilling – you may need to add more charcoal and adjust the vents to get the temperature just hot enough to char the wings. Grill the wings until they are crispy and slightly charred, about 2 minutes each side.
Toss the wings in the hot sauce, then serve with pickled celery, pickled chillies and a side of cows’ curd.
