Recipe | Citrus Spiced Fried Chicken Wings Appetizer

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Citrus Spiced Fried Chicken Wings

Well worth the extra time and effort, this Duck à l’Orange-inspired chicken wings appetizer recipe combines subtle zesty, spicy and sweet flavors, making them a natural food & wine pairing for crisp, white wines, such as Jordan Chardonnay.

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings (Mary’s if available)
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 bunch lemon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup Wondra flour (for dusting wings)
2-3 cups peanut oil (any high-smoke-point oil, such as canola or grapeseed, may be substituted)
blue cheese crumbles for garnish (Point Reyes if available)
celery sticks for garnish
citrus segments for garnish (optional)

For the sauce

¾ cup orange juice
6 Tbsp butter, melted
½ cup Frank’s hot sauce (or pique, Puerto Rican-style hot sauce, if available)
½ tsp Chinese five spice or Quatre Epices
2 Tbsp tangerine zest
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings (Mary’s if available)
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 bunch lemon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup Wondra flour (for dusting wings)
2-3 cups peanut oil (any high-smoke-point oil, such as canola or grapeseed, may be substituted)
blue cheese crumbles for garnish (Point Reyes if available)
celery sticks for garnish
citrus segments for garnish (optional)

For the sauce

¾ cup orange juice
6 Tbsp butter, melted
½ cup Frank’s hot sauce (or pique, Puerto Rican-style hot sauce, if available)
½ tsp Chinese five spice or Quatre Epices
2 Tbsp tangerine zest
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Instructions

serves 6

In a non-reactive bowl, combine chicken wings with salt, sugar, onions, thyme, bay leaves, anise and garlic; toss to distribute evenly.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove wings and discard aromatic marinade. Wipe any excess salt and sugar from the wings and lay them on a wire rack. Refrigerate for another 24 hours uncovered. (The refrigeration step may be omitted, but the skin will not crisp as well.)

When ready to serve, fill a heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2-3 inches of oil and heat to 375 degrees. Dust wings in Wonda flour and set aside to allow to coat.

Begin to prepare sauce. In a separate heavy-bottomed pot, reduce orange juice by three-quarters over medium-high heat. Combine all sauce ingredients with orange juice reduction and heat until just warm. Season with salt to taste.

Fry wings at 375 degrees until cooked through and crispy; about 11-13 minutes. Transfer wings with slotted spoon to paper-lined tray to drain excess oil.

In a non-reactive bowl, combine wings and sauce and toss to coat.

Serve with celery or citrus segments, Point Reyes blue cheese crumbles and additional sauce.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Every bottle of Jordan is crafted with food in mind. The elegant balance between fruit, acidity, tannin and alcohol found in our Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon make them versatile for a variety of food & wine pairings. We’ve selected a few vintages that we believe will complement or contrast flavors in this recipe perfectly.

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