Aji chicken wings with guava barbecue sauce
Aji Marinade
Star Tested
3 roma tomatoes 1/2 Spanish onion 1 tbsp (15 mL) tinned chipotle (in adobo sauce) 1/4 cup (60 mL) aji amarillo paste* 1/2 bunch cilantro 1 clove garlic 3 tbsp (45 mL) rice wine vinegar 5 tbsp (75 mL) lime juice 7 tbsp (105 mL) canola oil 4 tbsp (60 mL) cumin 6 tbsp (90 mL) coriander 2 tbsp (30 mL) smoked paprika salt to taste Place tomatoes, onion, chipotle, aji amarillo paste, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander and paprika in a blender. Purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Guava BBQ sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil 1/2 Spanish onion 1 large carrot 1 tbsp (15 mL) ginger 2 garlic cloves 1 tbsp (15 mL) cumin 1 tbsp (15 mL) paprika 1 tbsp (15 mL) tinned chipotle 1/4 cup (60 mL) guava paste 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce 1/4 cup (60 mL) molasses 3/4 cup (175 mL) water 1 tomato salt to taste In a large pot on medium heat, use oil to sauté onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add chipotle, guava paste, soy sauce, molasses, water and tomato. Bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender. Purée in blender. Season to taste with salt (though I found the soy sauce to be enough).
To make the wings
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) chicken wings (wingette, drumette and tip attached) 4 cups (1 L) aji marinade 2 cups (1/2 L) guava barbecue sauce In large container, mix wings with aji marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days. To cook, heat grill to high. Place wings on the hot part of the grill and let cook until sauce on one side starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes, turn and repeat on other side. Move to a cooler part of the grill if they look like they’re charring too much (the sugar in the sauce will burn before the chicken). In total, cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with the guava barbecue sauce. Makes a big batch of wings * You can find aji amarillo paste and guava paste at any Latin grocery. Tinned chipotles should be available in most supermarkets. Star-tested by Corey Mintz