LEBANESE-7-SPICE WINGS

Chicken wings are economical, quick to cook, easy to prepare, loaded with flavour making them perfect for any occasion! Grill them up as appetisers, as a snack or as part of a large meze feast and put them out for the kids or the big game. This is a pared back version of the marinade we baste the free-range Fosse meadows chicken wings with at Arabica Bar & Kitchen in Borough Market.

SERVES:

4-5 with a salad

PREPARED IN:

15 mins plus min 2 hours for marination

DIFFICULTY:

Super easy

INGREDIENTS

16 Chicken Wings, jointed

For the marinade:

1 small onion, finely sliced

1 lemon, sliced

5 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. Turkish red pepper paste (Biber Salcasi)

1½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 Spice

1 teaspoon Wild sumac

1 teaspoon Urfa chilli flakes

150ml Greek-style yogurt

10 sprigs fresh thyme

100ml olive oil

100g water

1 tablespoon flaked sea salt

To serve:

2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, julienned

Olive oil

METHOD

In a large bowl, add the sliced lemon and onion then squeeze to release the juices. Combine the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Rub the marinade over the wings and cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the chicken as much time as possible to absorb those big, punchy flavours. You could reduce the marination time by blitzing the marinade in a food processor, straining through a very fine sieve and injecting some of the marinade into the wings using a flavour injector.

Heat the EGG to 220°C. Place the wings on the searing grid and cook for about 7-8 minutes or until the skins crisp and start to char, basting regularly. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling, regularly basting for another 7-8 minutes or until cooked through. To check the chicken is cooked, take a small sharp knife and cut through to check the juices run clear. Alternatively, if you have temperature probe insert into the thickest part of the thigh and remove from the grill when it reads 75˚C.

Place the cooked wings in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, scatter with finely chopped parsley and toss before arranging on a serving plate.

Recipe by James Walters, self-taught chef and founder of Arabica.