HONEY HOT WINGS

Serves 6

Sweet and spicy is a great flavour combination. I prefer a gradual heat that builds up to a nice full mouth warmth as opposed to a straight, full-blown burn. The sweetness, too, must not be that sickly sweet, but rather a slightly burnt caramel taste or hint of bitterness that helps to add balance to the whole dish. For this recipe I have used four different types of heat — white pepper, black pepper, paprika and chilli — to create a gradual heat, and for the sauce I have used wild honey, as it tends to be less sweet than commercially produced honey, and molasses for that hint of burnt caramel. Try it, you’ll love it.

12 chicken wings

1 handful chopped fresh coriander

45ml ( 3 tbsp) sesame seeds

Rub:

30ml (2 tbsp) baking powder

30ml (2 tbsp) light brown sugar

10ml (2 tsp) salt

10ml (2 tsp) black pepper

10ml (2 tsp) white pepper

10ml (2 tsp) garlic powder

10ml (2 tsp) onion powder

10ml (2 tsp) smoked paprika

10ml (2 tsp) chilli powder

10ml ( 2 tsp) ground cumin

Sauce:

30ml (2 tbsp) butter

30-45ml (2 -3 tbsp) of your favourite hot sauce mixed with 10ml (2 tsp) cornflour

125ml ( ½ cup) wild honey

15ml (1 tbsp) molasses

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Lightly grease a baking rack with butter and place it in a baking tray. Throw all the rub ingredients into a large freezer bag, close the bag and shake it up until well mixed. Add the chicken wings and shake again until the wings are coated evenly. Arrange the wings on the prepared baking rack so that they are not touching. Do it in two batches if you need to.

Bake in the middle of the oven for

45- 50 minutes, watching closely so that the wings don’t burn. Flip the wings over halfway through and cook the other side until crispy. Once done, take out of the oven and allow to cool.

While the wings are cooling, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and add additional hot sauce for a spicier sauce or more honey for a sweeter sauce.

When the sauce is done, place the wings in a large bowl and pour over three-quarters of the sauce. Gently toss the wings with a spatula until evenly coated. Sprinkle over the coriander and sesame seeds and serve with the leftover sauce as a dip.