January 31, 2019

Chicken Wings Africana

I usually make a double batch of these wings because each time I make them, they fly off the plate. The combination of spices creates such great flavor they don’t need a sauce. Since the wings are marinated in advance and then cooked right before serving, they make for a stress-free appetizer when entertaining.

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Making the Shallot/Garlic Paste

First up is making the paste: Mincing and mashing garlic, shallots and salt as shown above.

Adding Spices to the Paste

Then add the spices: Chinese Five Spice Powder, crumbled Dried Rosemary, Paprika and Cayenne. Add vegetable oil. Mix well. Put paste in a large bowl.

Marinating Wings

Rinse, thoroughly pat dry and trim excess skin from the wings. Then add wings to the paste and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Chicken Wings Africana

The wings can be baked in the oven or cooked on the grill. Either way, these wings taste amazing.

Print Recipe

Chicken Wings Africana

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Refrigerate4

Total Time4 45

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: African, American

Keyword: african spices, appetizer, cayenne, chicken wings, chinese five spice powder, garlic, gluten free, paprika, shallots

Servings: 8 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves zested or pressed with a garlic press
2 shallots finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder available at Asian markets and most supermarkets
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary or thyme
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne or to taste
2 tablespoons neutral oil vegetable or canola
4 pounds chicken wings, drumettes and flats about 20 to 24

Instructions

Mash the garlic and the shallots to a paste with the salt on a cutting board. Then transfer paste to a large bowl and combine the paste with the five-spice powder, the paprika, the crumbled rosemary, the cayenne, and the oil.
Add chicken wings pieces to the paste, stirring to coat them well.
Let wings marinate, covered and chilled, for 4 hours or overnight.
If Baking: Arrange wings in a single layer, skin side up, on the rack of a parchment or foil-lined large pan and bake on the upper third of a preheated 425° oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes turning wings over after 12-15 minutes of cooking. Cook wings until they are golden brown. For extra crispy skin, put wings under the broiler. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning!
If Grilling: Spray or brush grill with oil to reduce sticking and place wings in a single layer directly on grill at medium high temperature. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until one side is golden brown and cooked through. Then turn wings with tongs and cook for another 8-10 minutes approximately, until wings are golden brown.
Remove wings from the oven or grill and place on a large platter and dig in!

Notes

The wings can be cooked 1-2 hours before serving and served at room temperature.

There is a coconut, peanut butter sauce that is part of the original recipe. I made it once and personally found it to be funky tasting but my brother liked it. So decide for yourself if you want to make the sauce. The link to the original recipe is below.

When working with raw chicken always use a separate cutting board and be sure to wash it and the counter thoroughly. I have a dedicated cutting board for chicken.

Recipe from Epicurious.com https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-wings-africana-11647

Gluten Free Disclaimer

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.