Help with a complicated recipe
I had these wings on St Thomas and we
have tried to recreate them using shortcuts. Not even close. So I am willing to try harder. What do you think of this? Feel free to suggest
changes. I'm not getting things right, so help! :)
Copycat of Sand Bar (at Marriott) in St Thomas Carib Chicken
wings (The menu lists it as this, verbatim: Carib Chicken Wings Sambal
Marinated Chicken Wings / Caribbean spice rub / dressed in Thai chili - bbq /
jalapeño ranch / breaded or naked)
Sambal marinade
12 chicken wings, chopped at the joint, tips removed
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp of chili garlic sauce (sambal olek)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt
pinch of cracked black pepper
put in fridge overnight.
Spice Rub
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried thyme
1 t allspice
1 t nutmeg
1⁄2 t salt
1⁄2 t mace
1⁄2 t clove
Rinse the chicken wings and toss them in a mixture of flour,
corn starch and the spice rub. Deep fry them. How long?
Thai Chili BBQ
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 T black peppercorns
1 T coriander
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into small segments
2 red or green Thai chiles
2 T fish sauce
2 T yellow curry powder
1/2 can coconut milk
2 T brown sugar
Toss the chicken in the chili BBQ sauce.
You said you tried shortcuts; how did you make them?
bottled sauces instead of marinating and making the sauce from scratch
I don't usually care for wing but that recipe would be an exception. Yum.
The marinade looks good. I like the Sriacha brand garlic/chili sauce .Really good. Would probably add some thyme and crushed coriander to that, I never rinse off marinades...just sometimes pat them a bit dry with p-towel. (i'd save a few tiny lime and lemon wedges for the serving plate) ...expensive here.
And i would bake or grill, not fry, so no help with fry time...
I would toast the spices for the rub before grinding...Low heat 5-min in a dry pan. An add some type of hot pepper flake. And a small amount of brown sugar....(i use coconut palm). Not that i care for sweet. Just helps to have a bit of it to caramelize and help the browning but that is for the grill or baking.
The BBQ i would make a day ahead with the marinade. Toast the spices...i always give my lemongrass a wack with something hammer-like. I want some ginger in that and another liquid, just a 1/4 cup or less to heat everything up and simmer 20 min. I like to add coconut milk at the end and off the heat as it does not like much 'cooking'. Runs the freshness. Nice to see those flavors sit in the fridge overnight, then strain and add something green like cilantro.
I'm stealing this recipe. I need something new this summer : )
Great maybe with grilled shrimp/lamb sausage.
If you get it the way you like it, go ahead a make your spices in 3-4 batch amounts ahead of time if you think you might make it a few times within a month or two and that work will be done and ready. I make my spice rubs early in the Spring for a few meals to cut down on that chore.
I don't think there are any shortcuts-not if you want to truly recreate the dish. Fortunately, this recipe lends itself to some parts being done ahead of time. The spice rub can be made days or weeks ahead. The sauce will keep in the fridge for at least 2-3 days.
For deep frying, heat oil to 375 and fry 8-10 minutes depending on size of wings.
Good luck, that 's a lot of work!
I agree with Mimi, you really can't shortcut this. Marinate the wings overnight, then coat with the spicerub/flour mixture, and deep fry at 375° for about 10 min. When done, toss the fried wings in a large bowl with the BBQ sauce. Serve with Jalapeno Ranch dip.
Heck, I might even try these myself!
I'm also thinking the BBQ sauce needs cooking first. Probably mix it all together, and simmer on the stovetop till thickened, then toss with the wings.
Thanks for all the advice! I'm totally taking it all to heart.
It's a jagged together recipe from three sources. The BBQ sauce is all Bobby Flay. I agree, cooking the sauce makes the most sense. I cannot tell you how moutwateringly good they are at the Sand Bar. I have to have them again, even if it takes days to do. And Passion Fruit Daiquiris to go with. If only I could snorkel (see that grove of trees on the left hand side?, just below that) before, that'd be perfect. The Sand Bar at Havana Blue:
Forget making the wings at home, I wanna eat them right there!!!
Wow.
I agree, Rob, deep fry the wings at 375 for about 10 minutes. I also think the sauce would be better cooked.
Since I don't like chicken skin I seldom eat wings, but Elery loves them, and also loves spicy food. I might have to get busy and try this recipe too. Elery has been to St. Thomas, says it's beautiful and would like to go back. I'm not so excited, LOL, but I'd make him the chicken wings!
Annie
Tell him to take you to St Croix....much homier, funkier and less glitzy tourist stuff.
Many years ago, spent a week there when my DH was alive....we were out for a drive to see the island....and he spies some dairy cows....so we spent 2 hours talking with the mostly French speaking guy who milked the cows! It's that sort of place!
Word is St John is the prettiest of the isles, but I'd go back to St Thomas or St Croix or any of them, any day! Ultimately relaxing!!!! We really did snorkel at that spot. Everyday.
Paradise!!! Good luck with your wings.
The verdict? Fried! By far, was our favorite. We tried all three methods.The sauce is very different than we wanted, and really doctored. We added ginger, chili/garlic sauce, some honey, a couple of dashes of liquid smoke, and the rest of the can of coconut milk. Because it was more Indian than Asian. All the additions were good. It really needed the ginger and sweetness. Thanks for the help!