I'm late to the party, but I brought wings! Man oh man, the Superbowl is tomorrow! I apologize for posting such a late recipe. There has been a ton of research and development going on in my kitchen.
I actually created something very exciting but I am not ready to reveal it just yet. I'm sure there are many Superbowl parties being thrown tomorrow and that party is NEVER complete without wings. Americans consume about 1.25 billion chicken wings during the Superbowl. 1.25 BILLION. Holy shit!
I definitely contribute to that statistic. I LOVE chicken wings and I have a secret recipe that I will share with you all. It's my General Rafs Crispy Wings.
I can't remember my first chicken wing, but growing up, we ate a ton of homemade crispy chicken wings. My brother and I always fought for that last bite. We attended the afternoon shift in elementary school.
We would wake up, eat an early lunch and get ready for school. If lunch had wings, it was going to be a fantastic day. My stomach is growling as I am writing this. Over the years, I have created this secret wing sauce. I had never given it a name, so I've decided to call it General Rafs Crispy Wings because why not, right!?
Rafs Crispy Wings:
- 1½-2lbs - Pasturebird Chicken Wings
- 2 Tbsp - Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp - Paleo Baking Powder
- Salt to taste
General Rafs Glaze:
- 6 Cloves - Fresh Garlic (Minced)
- 1 heaping Tbsp - Fresh Ginger (Minced)
- 2 Tbsp - Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup - Coconut Secret's Coconut Aminos
- 2 Tbsp - Organic 100% Apple Juice
- 3 Tbsp - Raw Honey
- 1 Tbsp - Coconut Sugar
- 1 Tsp - Sriracha Hot Sauce
- 1 Tsp - Ketchup
- ¼ to ½ Tsp - Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 Tsp - Penzeys Smoked Paprika
- Pinch - Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp - Otto's Natural Cassava Flour
- 1 Stalk - Fresh Green Onion (Diced)
- 1 Tbsp - Fresh Cilantro (Finely Chopped)
- 1 Tsp - Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1/4 Cup - Fried Shallot (Optional)
Before we start the General Rafs Crispy Wings, let's talk a bit about the ingredients. The secret to this recipe is fresh ingredients. You will want fresh garlic, ginger, green onions and cilantro for the sauce.
I will be straight forward about this. Minced garlic in a jar tastes like ass. It is very convenient but it doesn't even come close to the flavor of freshly minced garlic.
You can get a small piece of ginger in most grocery stores. I wouldn't substitute with ginger powder. The next thing is the fried shallots. It is an optional ingredient but it is heavenly.
You can find bottles of deep fried shallots in most Asian grocers. Look at the ingredients before you buy it. I found ones that are just shallots and palm oil. If you can't find one that is paleo friendly, maybe you can use that 80/20 quota and indulge a bit, BUT that is totally a personal choice. Sriracha also has xanthan gum and luckily I don't react to it at all. I love it and I use it on EVERYTHING!
Wings:
Let's start making General Rafs Crispy Wings. Most of the time, if you want crispy wings, you need to deep fry them. But you can achieve similar results in an oven. If you have the space in the fridge, leave the wings in there for a few hours, uncovered, to dry out. If not, you can just pat them dry with paper towels.
Next, preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings with salt, baking powder, and olive oil. It is a kitchen secret that baking powder helps draw out moisture from the chicken wings.
Less moisture equals crispier skin. Arrange the wings on an oven-safe wire rack in a single layer. Bake them in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the skin is nice and crunchy. You can crank up the heat to 450°F for the last 5 minutes to really crisp it up.
Sauce:
Ok, so this is General Rafs Crispy Wings Sauce. Yes, it is my secret wing sauce that I am sharing with you. This baby is always a hit! In a saucepan over medium heat, drizzle oil and slightly brown the garlic and ginger.
As soon as they start to brown, add in coconut amino and apple juice. Turn the heat down to a slight simmer. Add in the honey, coconut sugar, crushed red pepper, Sriracha Sauce, ketchup, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
Let it simmer for a minute or two and take it off the heat but keep it in the pan. Sprinkle in Otto's Cassava Flour and make sure to stir it until there are no lumps. Bring the sauce back to a simmer and it will start thickening. As soon as it thickens, the General Rafs Crispy Wings sauce is ready.
To Serve:
Once the wings are done the cooking, let it rest a few minutes. Toss it in the sauce with diced green onions, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and the fried shallots. That is it. I suggest you get to General Rafs Crispy Wings before everyone else does because these will literally "fly" off the plate!
I showed a fork and knife in the pictures, but you best be getting those fingers messy! There you have it, General Rafs Crispy Wings. Until next time, eat up my friends!
