SPICY GRILLED ORANGE-HONEY MUSTARD WINGS
125 g/½ cup Dijon mustard
60 g/3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
grated zest of 1 orange
1.8 kg/4 lbs. chicken wings, halved at the joints, tips removed
vegetable oil, for oiling
coleslaw and mini corn on the cobs (or Elotes, see page 17), to serve
Serves 4–6
Preheat the grill/broiler to medium.
Mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, steak or Worcestershire sauce and orange zest together in a small bowl. Set aside a small amount of the honey–mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
Lightly oil the grill/broiler rack and grill/broil the chicken for about 20–25 minutes, turning occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced to the bone. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes.
Serve with coleslaw and mini corn on the cob (or Elotes).
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225 g/1 cup smooth peanut butter
120 ml/½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes
1½ tablespoons ground cumin
sea salt flakes, to season
1.8 kg/4 lbs. chicken wings, halved at the joints, tips removed
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
cucumber wedges, to serve
Serves 4–6
Beat together the garlic, peanut butter, lemon juice, dried chilli/hot red pepper flakes and ground cumin with 250 ml/1 cup warm water; season with salt.
Toss the chicken wings with 225 g/1 cup of the sauce, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the grill/broiler and grill/broil the chicken for about 20–25 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through, lightly charred and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced to the bone.
Serve the wings with the remaining sauce, topped with chopped parsley and accompanied by cucumber wedges.
450 g/1 lb. bacon, cut into 2.5-cm/1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 x 440-g/16-oz. cans baked beans
1 x 440-g/16-oz. can red kidney beans, drained
2 tablespoons dark molasses or treacle
2 tablespoons soft/packed dark brown sugar
80 ml/⅓ cup bourbon
120 ml/½ cup chilli/chili sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
SERVES 6–8
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) Gas 4.
Cook the bacon on a baking sheet in the oven or in a frying pan/skillet on the hob/stovetop until crisp. Drain and set aside, saving the bacon drippings.
Sauté the onion in the bacon drippings until it is translucent.
In a large bowl, mix together the onion, baked beans, kidney beans, molasses, sugar, bourbon, chilli/chili sauce, mustard and cinnamon. Add the bacon and fold in gently.
Pour the mixture into a large pot or casserole dish. Cover with a lid or with foil. Bake the beans for 40 minutes, then let stand for 10–15 minutes before serving.
450 g/1 lb. pickling cucumbers, sliced into thin wedges
450 g/1 lb. baby carrots, halved lengthways
1 fennel bulb, cored and cut into 5 x 1-cm/2 x ½-inch matchsticks
1 red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into 5 x 1-cm/2 x ½-inch matchsticks
450 g/1 lb. green or pole beans, cut into 5-cm/2-inch lengths
450 g/1 lb. celery, cut into 5 x 1-cm/2 x ½-inch matchsticks
1 chilli/chile of your choice, cut into thin strips (optional, for heat)
700 ml/3 cups apple cider vinegar
120 ml/½ cup white wine vinegar
150 g/¾ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon fresh root ginger cut into matchsticks
1 bay leaf
9 garlic cloves, crushed
a muslin/cheesecloth
large sterilized Mason/Kilner jars (optional)
Makes 2–3 jars
Combine the vegetables, except the chilli, in a large bowl or pan.
In a heatproof bowl, cover the chilli/chile, if using, with boiling water and let stand for about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and 700 ml/3 cups water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Cover the top of the bowl containing the vegetables with a muslin/cheesecloth, then pour the hot liquid over the contents. Ball up the sifted spices in the muslin/cheesecloth, tie at the top and submerge in the pickling mixture. Cover the vegetables and pickling liquid with a plate, let cool to room temperature, then cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 days.
Drain the vegetables and serve on a platter. Alternatively, transfer the vegetables to sterilized jars and top up with the pickling liquid. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
In the words of star quarterback Tom Brady, ‘I could talk food all day. I love good food.’ And, boy, are these pickled veg packed with serious pizazz good! They’ll make the ideal accompaniment to the punchy poultry you serve during your Super Bowl blowout. The crunchy texture contrasts perfectly with the other recipes in this chapter, and if there’s any chicken-wing sauce to mop up, you’ll know what to use.
FRIED GAME HEN & CORNMEAL WAFFLES
4 small Cornish game hens (Rock hen or Poussin)
1 litre/quart buttermilk
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 bunch of thyme sprigs
1–2 tablespoons hot sauce
4 litres/4 quarts rapeseed/canola or ground nut/peanut oil
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
135 g/1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
45 g/¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
a pinch of paprika
CORNMEAL WAFFLES
135 g/1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
150 g/1 cup yellow polenta/cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
300 ml/1¼ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
115 g/1 stick unsalted butter, melted
4-litre/quart casserole dish/Dutch oven
a deep-fat thermometer
kitchen string/twine
a waffle iron
non-stick cooking spray, for oiling
Serves 4
Remove any visible fat from the birds, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Combine the buttermilk, onion, chopped garlic, eight of the thyme sprigs and the hot sauce in a large bowl.
Add the hens, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 6–12 hours.
Heat the oil in the casserole dish/Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fat thermometer over medium-high heat to 180°C (350°F). Remove the hens from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place one garlic clove and the remaining thyme sprigs in each hen’s cavity, tie the legs together with kitchen string/twine and sprinkle the hens with the salt.
Mix the flour and cayenne together in a medium bowl. Dredge the hens first in the seasoned flour and then in the panko, patting off the excess flour. Fry one at a time for 10 minutes until crispy, golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack and let rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the waffles.
Preheat the oven to 110°C (225°F) Gas 4 to keep the waffles warm after they are cooked.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, beat the all the wet ingredients together, including the melted butter. Pour the wet into the dry and mix just until they are combined.
Lightly spray your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour in about 125 ml/½ cup batter for each waffle. Cook until browned and crisp. Place in oven to keep warm while cooking the other waffles. Serve the warm hens with the waffles as soon as they are cooked.
350-ml/12-fl. oz. can ‘frozen’ limeade concentrate or 350 ml/1½ cups Homemade Limeade Concentrate (see below)
350 ml/1½ cups tequila
350 ml/1½ cups beer
1 tablespoon sea salt
ice cubes
1 lime, cut into wedges, to garnish
HOMEMADE LIMEADE CONCENTRATE
300 g/1½ cups white sugar
350 ml/1½ cups freshly squeezed lime juice
Makes 4
If making the Limeade Concentrate, put the sugar into a saucepan with 350 ml/1½ cups water. Heat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lime juice and stir well. Let cool, then freeze.
To make the beer margarita, combine the limeade, tequila and beer in a large jug/pitcher with 350 ml/1½ cups water. Stir until the limeade has melted and everything has combined.
Place the sea salt on a plate. Dampen the rims of the glasses, then dip them in the salt. Add a handful of ice cubes to each glass, pour over the beer margarita and, if liked, garnish with a lime wedge to serve.
400 g/2 cups white sugar
2 lemons, sliced
2 limes, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges, to garnish
ice cubes
soda water/club soda, to serve
Makes 4–6
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, lemons and limes with 450 ml/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, then strain.
Add a few ice cubes to each glass, dilute 1–2 tablespoons of the syrup with 225 ml/1 cup soda water/club soda and garnish with a lime wedge to serve.
