Wings are the consummate bar food and are required any time you have friends over to watch the game.  I have a few different ways to do wings.  I rarely fry them, occasionally I’ll grill them, but I usually roast them in a 400 – 450 degree oven.  I buy a bunch of wings and brine them overnight.  Then I divide them up in quart freezer bags and freeze them.  This way I can thaw however many I want, and prepare them according to what sounds good at the time.  So here are my varieties:

• Polynesian Style: grilled or roasted and served with savory salt
• Caribbean Style: roasted and tossed in Wing Sauce (See below)
• Buttermilk Wings: Breaded and oven fried

Brining

You can probably get by without brining, as long as you marinade the wings for 3+ hours.  That being said, brining allows you to marinade them for a shorter time before cooking.  Anyway, brine the wings in a zip lock bag for 3 hours or overnight in a solution of 2 Tbls. each of sugar and salt per quart of water.

Marinades

For Polynesian Style Wings, marinade for 2 – 3 hours in:

• 1/2 Cup regular Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbls. 5 spice powder

For Caribbean Style Wings, marinade for 2-3 hours or overnight in equal parts:

• Regular Soy Sauce
• Sweet Vermouth or Mirin
• Fresh or frozen (thawed) pineapple crushed in a zip lock bag using your hand

For buttermilk wings, marinade overnight in equal parts:

• Buttermilk
• Louisiana Hot sauce (or brand of your choosing)

Oven Roasting

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. The buttermilk wings are great breaded with bread or cracker crumbs, corn flakes or ground pork rinds.
3. Arrange marinaded wings on an aluminum foil covered sheet pan fitted with a wire rack
4. Roast in the upper part of the oven for 30 – 40 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through

Savory Salt

• 1/4 Cup kosher salt
• 1 Tsp. Celery salt
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Cayenne

1. Combine all ingredients in a small jar
2. Sprinkle over wings while hot

Wing Sauce #1

• 2 Tbls. Melted butter
• 2 Tbls. Canola oil
• 4 Tbls. Sriracha Sauce
• 1 Tbls. Sambal Oelek (Chile garlic sauce)

1. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together or, in a place all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake.
2. Add the cooked wings to the bowl and toss to coat.
3. Serve immediately.

Wing Sauce #2

• 2 Tbls. Melted butter
• 2 Tbls. Canola oil
• 4 Tbls. Habanero Sauce such as Louisiana or Tabasco

1. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together or, in a place all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake.
2. Add the cooked wings to the bowl and toss to coat.
3. Serve immediately.

Wing Sauce Other

• 2 Tbls. Melted butter
• 2 Tbls. Canola oil
• 4 Tbls. Whatever sauce you want

Wing Sauce Ideas:

• Try Chipotle, Piquin, Green Chile or Pica Pepper
• Heat the butter and oil in a small pan and add sliced garlic.  After the garlic cooks a bit, remove it with a slotted spoon.  Add whatever sauce you were thinking of.
• Use an Italian style tomato sauce and sprinkle the coated wings with fresh Italian herbs and crushed red pepper

These make a simple and quick appetizer.  You will need a cold smoke gun.

Time: 15 minutes

Serves 2

Tea Smoked Scallops

• 1/4 Cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 Cup sugar or WheyLow
• 4 fresh sea scallops
• 1 Tbls. Butter
• 1 Tbls. Olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 5 spice powder
• 1 tea bag of Chai tea

1. In a small sauce pan dissolve the sugar or WheyLow in the soy sauce, set aside to cool
2. Thoroughly dry and lightly season the scallops on both sides with salt, pepper and the 5 spice powder.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the scallops until nicely browned and cooked through – about 2 minutes per side.
4. Cut open the tea bag and load the smoke gun with the loose tea
5. Place the scallops in a small glass dish and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the smoker tube under the plastic and light the tea.  Smoke for 1 minute and remove the plastic wrap.
6. Place 2 scallops on each small serving plate and garnish the plate with the soy glaze.
7. Serve immediately.

Note: Only smoke the scallops for 1 minute.  Allow the scallops to sit in the open for 2-3 minutes while you plate them and garnish.  This allows the bitter parts of the smoke flavor to dissipate.

When making orgeat, you start with almonds and make almond milk.  So, why not start with almond milk! Plus, commercial almond milk is supposedly made from bitter almonds which contains benzaldehyde which is tasty.  They also yield cyanide, which is why you can’t buy them at the local store!

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 oz. 100 proof vodka (optional but it will help preserve your orgeat)
• 2 Tbls. Orange Flower Water

1. In a small pot over medium-low heat, bring the almond milk and sugar to a near boil, stirring frequently.  As soon as the mixture begins to boil, it turns to foam.  Try to hold the temperature just below boiling until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a heat proof bowl or quart measuring cup.  (this will help remove any undissolved sugar).  Allow to cool to room temperature
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Store in a bottle in the refrigerator.  Keeps a month.
5. Shake well before using.

• 1 oz. White Peach Purée – recipe below
• ¼ oz. grenadine
• ¼ oz. Campari
• 4 ½ oz. champagne

1. Combine purée and grenadine in a mixing glass with ice.
2. While stirring, slowly add champagne.
3. Drizzle Campari into glass to reduce the foam
4. Strain into chilled champagne flute.

White Peach Purée

This is a surprisingly dry, fruity sangria.  Be sure to use a rosé with an ABV >13%.  We used Sacha Lichine single blend.

Makes 6 Glasses

Time: 2:15

• 12 oz. mango junks, fresh or frozen
• 12 oz. sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
• 1 bottle dry rosé
• 1 cup peach liqueur, such as Sterrings
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• handful of fresh mint leaves – optional

1. Combine all ingredients, except the mint leaves, in a large, lidded  pitcher, bottle or jar.
2. Shake the bottle and refrigerate for 2-4 hours
3. 1 hour before serving, give the mint leaves a smack in your hand and add them to the sangria.
4. Serve cold in fancy glasses!