These spicy wings are ideal party food for any celebration. The chicken is brined to make it extra juicy and the smoky sweetness of the sauce adds heat.
Ingredients
For the brine – to make them juicy
- 1 ½kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 180g sea salt flakes
- 90g soft dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp chilli flakes
For the spice mix – to make them tasty
- 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
For the sauce – to add some heat
- 75g butter
- 125ml hot chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Method
STEP 1
Put the chicken in a big bowl. In a pan, heat 1 litre of water with the salt, brown sugar and chilli flakes. When it’s dissolved, add 2 litres of cold water and pour over the chicken. Put in the fridge and leave for at least 2 hrs, but ideally a day or two. When you’re ready to cook, take the chicken out of the water and pat dry all over with kitchen paper.
STEP 2
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the smoked paprika, ground cumin, sea salt and dark brown sugar on a baking tray. Mix them together, then roll the dried chicken pieces in the spices, making sure everything is covered. Roast the chicken for 1 hr or until crispy and caramelized.
STEP 3
Meanwhile, for the sauce, gently melt the butter in a small pan with the hot sauce and maple syrup. When the chicken pieces come out of the oven, drizzle this sauce all over them and give them a shake. Serve with a side of creamed corn.