Chef Sammy Monsour - Habanero Wings
Course:
Appetizer
Seasonal Event:
Thanksgiving
INGREDIENTS:
WINGS:
- 4-5 pounds chicken wings, split and tips removed
- 2 liters cranberry ginger ale
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE WING SAUCE:
- ½ Cup fresh cranberries
- 1 to 2 whole fresh habaneros (use to your liking of spiciness, or omit completely if desired)
- 1 cup pom pomegranate juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1 tbsp size tabs
GINGER CINNAMON CHIPOTLE CREMA:
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1 whole canned chipotle plus 2 tbsp adobo sauce from can
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely or minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Zest of 1 orange
DIRECTIONS:
- Brine wings overnight (for 12-24 hours) under refrigeration: divide wings evenly into two-gallon size freezer bags, add 1 tbsp kosher salt and 1 liter of ginger ale to each bag, seal and refrigerate overnight. *place on a tray to avoid potential spillage.
- The next day: pour the contents of both bags into a large stockpot. If wings aren’t fully submerged in liquid, add enough water to cover. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Gently simmer wings for 10-15 minutes, until fully cooked and slightly tender. Remove from heat and strain. Lay wings onto a sheet tray in a single layer (do not stack) and allow to cool at room temp. In the meantime, your wing sauce should be on the stove, and you should now preheat your fryer oil to 350 degrees.
- Once oil is to temperature, carefully begin deep frying your wings in batches sized appropriately to your fryer or pot. *never overfill a fryer, it can cause hot oil to bubble up, expand and overflow, causing serious harm to yourself, along with the potential of a grease fire.
- Fry wings in batches to golden brown and crispy, approx. 3-5 minutes. Remove from oil, strain to remove excess oil, toss in wing sauce and serve with dipping sauce. Welcome to the Thanksgiving Day heroes club.
CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE WING SAUCE:
- Puree all ingredients except for butter in the blender until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add cold butter to sauce and whisk until fully incorporated.
GINGER CINNAMON CHIPOTLE CREMA:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree to smooth. Refrigerate immediately. *make a day ahead of time when bringing the wings, this sauce tastes extra delicious if rested under refrigeration for 24 hours.
HOW TO SOFTEN BUTTER QUICKLY:
- Pour hot water into a glass.
- Then, pour the water out and dry it.
- Next, invert the glass over cold butter on a plate.
- Now, your butter is softened and ready to go!