It’s the middle of summer and if you hurry you can enjoy what is by far one of the best things about this season! My husband and I headed out to Great Country Farms located in Bluemont,Virginia recently with sun hat in hand to pick peaches in preparation for my summertime ritual of making peach butter and other delicacies. I always look forward to this outing because it reminds me of my childhood and the fond memories of watching my grandmother “put up” jars of all kinds of fruits and vegetables to place on the canning shelf. Although I don’t do nearly as much as she did, I have over the years honored our family’s tradition by each summer making preserves, fruit butters, dill pickles and pickled jalapeño peppers.
One of the things that I absolutely love is creating recipes that go beyond the ususal, which brings me to this wonderful recipe for Peachy Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a wonderful cook book by Jeff Keasberry, entitled Indo Dutch Kitchen Secrets, published by Mascot Books.
The key to making this dish is all in the seasonings and a tiny helping of patience. One of the secrets to grilling, taught to me by my brother “Red” on how to grill and not burn the meat is to make sure not to leave space in between what you are putting on the grill. In other words, do not provide a space for air to flow which is one of the main causes of flare-ups. Ok, I know this is much too technical, but trust me it works. Another tip is to keep the flame low to allow the meat to cook slowly which not only adds to the flavor, but it also keeps the meat moist and tender.
So what are you waiting for? Time to fire up that grill! Here’s the recipe and be sure to make plenty, as this is something your family is going to love.
Peachy-Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
6 Wooden Bamboo Skewers (soaked in water)
3 lbs, approximately chicken wings, separated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1-2 very ripe peaches, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried chili pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
Instructions
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Place cut peaches in a small bowl and sprinkle with brown sugar and allow to rest for about 10 minutes to release the juices.
Arrange chicken wings on the skewers, about 4 wing pieces each and place on a cookie sheet. Add spices, garlic and remaining ingredients to a blender. Pour peach mixture into the blender and blend just enough to mix ingredients.
Pour marinade mixture over wings and turn to coat on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Place marinated chicken onto grill, basting with the marinade. Grill until done. In the meantime, cut 3 ripe peaches in half, brush the cut side with a little of the marinade and grill.
For a nice dipping sauce, pour the marinade into a small pot and steep until nice and thick.
