Two Oven-Roasted Chicken Wings and One Dip

While chicken is the most common poultry around the world, in many places chicken wings were not considered a separate food item. They were usually thrown into a stock, or thrown away altogether. There are many theories about who first transformed this formerly boring part into a tasty snack. Most probably, all the theories are correct, as so often happens in the culinary world.
There are also quite a few ways to prepare chicken wings. Most recipes call for deep-frying them, while many others suggest to grill them. I prefer to oven-roast them in a very hot oven. I find this way of preparation keeps the meat moist, and the skin crispy. Another advantage to this method is that it doesn’t require much once you put the pan in the oven – no standing by the deep fryer, or by the grill, to keep turning and tossing the wings. Once they’re in the oven, you’re free to deal with preparing the rest of the meal, or have a glass of wine, or both…

The wings have three parts: the “drumette”, which is shaped like a small drumstick and is the meatier part, the middle “flat” segment, which has two bones and more skin, therefore a fatter part, and the “tip”, which has none of the above and sometimes is kept on for presentation reasons that are beyond me. You can keep the tip if you want, but I see no reason for it. It’s also up to you if you want to use both edible parts, or just the “drumette”, which is easier to serve and eat. To cut the whole wing, just look for the fatty line between each part and cut through it with a sharp heavy knife, or buy the pre-cut ones. Try them in any way you choose and enjoy.

Notes:
* If the oven is not really hot before you’re adding the wings, you’ll end up steaming the wings rather than roasting them, and the result will not be crispy at all. So don’t skip the step of preheating the oven.
* The flavors of these two options go well together, so they can be served, buffet style, at the same time.
* For larger amounts, simply double or triple the amount of each recipe.

Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Wings
The lemon marinade is the perfect balance for the fattiness of the wings. The taste of lemon is strong enough to serve the wings without any dips. I like to roast the lemon segments after juicing them, as well as whole sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves, and serve these with the wings, as an edible garnish. The roasted rosemary becomes crispy, the garlic smooth and soft, and the roasted lemons will delight lemon fans.

Makes: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Roasting time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients:
6 whole chicken wings
2 medium lemons, washed well and dried
1 head garlic, peeled
6 rosemary sprigs
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Cut the wings and remove the tips.
2. Juice the lemons (keep the juiced halves). Place the juice in a large bowl. Roughly slice 3 of the garlic cloves, chop the leaves of 2 rosemary stems and add to the bowl. Add the salt and pepper and mix well. Cut the juiced lemons halves into segments and place in a medium size roasting pan. Scatter the rest of the garlic cloves and the rosemary sprigs all around.

3. Add the chicken wings and mix well. Add the olive oil and mix again to coat evenly.   Place the wings in the pan, in one layer.

5. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the wings are golden. Serve with the roasted lemons, garlic and rosemary. Here I’ve served them with arugula leaves and lightly buttered cooked fresh corn, sprinkled with Hawaiian red salt.

Spicy Harissa Chicken Wings
This recipe uses spicy North African Harissa paste as the source of heat. Harissa paste is a mix of dried chili peppers, garlic, cumin, caraway and oil. There are many varieties, some hotter than others, so adjust the quantities according to your preferences. The same goes for the Creole spice mix.

Makes: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Roasting time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients:
6 chicken wings
2 Tbs Harissa paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs Creole spice mix
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Cut the wings and remove the tips.
2. In a large bowl, mix the Harissa paste with the spices and salt, then add the oil and mix. Add the chicken wings and mix (use gloves, as the mixture is spicy).
3. Place the wings in a roasting pan, in one layer.

4. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the wings are golden. Serve as is, or with the following blue cheese and celery dip.

Blue Cheese and Celery dip
Most Blue Cheese dips are served with celery sticks on the side. For fresher and lighter dip, I’ve added chopped celery directly into the dip.
* Don’t process the celery with the rest of the ingredients, or you’ll end up with a watery dip.

Makes: about 2 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
3 celery stalks, from the center
1 cup good quality Blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
¼ cup thick yogurt
1/3 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Cut the celery stalks into small pieces. Place in a food processor with the metal blade and chop lightly. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the rest of ingredients to the food processor bowl and process to combine. Add to the celery in the bowl and mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until serving. The dip tastes even better after an hour or so. Bring to room temperature before serving.