Chicken Wings Trifecta + Pairings #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

Here we are at the first #KitchenMatrixCookingProject post for July. This month I picked the dishes with easy recipes to inspire some al fresco dinners. My family and I have been taking our meals outside often. We love the fresh air and warmer than usual evenings. It's a great way to spend a meal with those you love.

You can read more about our project: here. We'd love to have you join us. And, if you don't have a copy of his cookbook, you can read his key to a truly great chicken wing online. 

So, on an evening that we didn't have too much going on, I decided to try my hand at three of his sauces - well, three slight adaptations of his sauces. We tested a Korean-style, miso sauce, and a typical barbeque sauce. Others that Bittman suggests are curry yogurt, jerk, and garam masala. You can bet we'll be trying those soon.

Here's what the other #KitchenMatrixCookingProject gals tried this week...

An InLinkz Link-up

First let me say that I didn't really follow Bittman's recipes in regards to cooking the wings. I cooked them the way that I always cook them because why should I change a good thing, right?? I simply used his sauce suggestions as a starting point and adapted based on what I had in the house already. So, feel free to cook the wings however you usually do, but I'm sharing my way here.

Ingredients serves 4

Wings

• 3 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and wings (tips discarded)
• 1/4 C olive oil
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Korean-Inspired Sauce

• 1/4 C soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
• 1/4 C red chile paste or Sriracha
• 2 T vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of rice vinegar)
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 T sesame oil
• 2 T garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 t ground ginger

Miso Sauce

• 1/2 C miso (I used sweet yellow paste)
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 T vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of rice vinegar)
• 1 T garlic, peeled and minced
• black sesame seeds for garnish

Barbeque Sauce

• 1/2 C ketchup (I used a no-sugar added brand)
• 1 T red wine
• 1 t vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1 t soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t ground coriander
• freshly ground salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place wings - skin side up - on the prepared baking sheet. Roast them for 45 to 50 minutes. They will be cooked through and the skin nicely browned and crisped.

While the wings roast,whisk all of the ingredients together to create the different sauces. When the wings are done, add them to the sauce and toss to coat. Place the wings on serving platters and spoon any remaining sauce over the top. For the miso wings, I sprinkled them with black sesame seeds. Serve hot.

 Testing and the Winner

I cannot even explain the glee that was dancing around the table when I served these chicken wings. They dug in, pausing long enough to let me know that they knew I wanted their opinions. How do you know that? I asked.

"Because you always want us to do a taste test when you offer more than one option for the same dish!"

They are so smart...and compliant. I love it.

When all there was left were piles of bones, they started to discuss. And, I'll be honest, I was surprised by the verdict. I actually would have thought the Korean-style wings would have been the winner. But, hands down, they all said that the miso wings were the clear favorite.

Winner, winner, chicken (wings) dinner! There you have it. I actually preferred the Korean-style wings, but I was outnumbered.

And for our adult beverage pairings, I poured the newly released Dry Riesling from Ser Winery. You can read more about Nicole, the winemaker, in my post: The Effervescent Nicole Walsh Dishes on Ser....

Jake opted for his new favorite beer - Leopold7! You can read my blogpost - for Edible Monterey Bay - about Leopold 7's up and coming brewery on Cannery Row: here. After tasting the beer, it's the only one he's been buying.