Who doesn’t love crispy fried chicken wings? Instead of frying the wings in oil, this lower-fat recipe calls for par-boiling the wings for a few minutes, then coating them with a spicy dry rub, and baking them in a hot oven until they are sizzling, brown, and crispy. Serve them with your favorite hot sauce, barbecue sauce, or spicy fruity Duck Sauce. Enjoy!

CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN WINGS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 pounds chicken wings

• 3 tablespoons Spicy Dry Chicken Rub (recipe below)

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1-2 tablespoons canola oil

• Barbecue Sauce (recipe below or store-bought)

• Duck Sauce (recipe below)

PREPARATION:

1. If you have whole chicken wings, separate the wing tips at the joint and discard or use them to make chicken stock. Separate the thighs and wings at the joint.

2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the wings to cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Preheat your oven to 450 F.

4. Drain the wings in a colander and allow them to cool and air-dry for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a large bowl.

5. Drizzle the oil over the wings and mix to coat. Mix 1 tablespoon baking powder into 3 tablespoons of dry rub and sprinkle the mixture over the wings and mix to coat.

6. Line a sheet pan with foil and place the wings on a lightly oiled wire mesh grate on the pan.

7. Bake the wings in the upper third of the oven for 25 minutes before turning over and baking for another 10-15 minutes until the wings are sizzling, brown, and crispy.

8. Serve the wings with Duck and/or Barbecue Sauce on the side, or toss the wings in your sauce of choice before serving.

Spicy Dry Chicken Rub
This will make more dry rub than you need for this recipe. Mix the ingredients and store any extra rub in a tightly closed container. Use it on turkey and pork as well.

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Barbecue Sauce
If you want to try an alternative to store-bought barbecue sauce, give this excellent barbecue sauce recipe a try. It will keep in a glass container in the fridge for over a week.

Ingredients:

• ½ cups ketchup

• ¼ cup Bourbon

• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup molasses

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard

• ½ shallot or ½ tablespoon onion powder

• 2 cloves of garlic grated or finely minced (or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic)

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• ¼ teaspoon Chipotle (or Ancho) chili powder

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

• 1 Bay Leaf

Preparation:

1. Sauté the shallot and garlic.

2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat; simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. The sauce should be thin, but not watery. Allow to cool; remove the Bay Leaf.

3. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. The sauce is better if allowed to sit for a day.

Spicy Duck Sauce
This is a complex fruity and tangy Duck Sauce with a hint of heat, but none of the weird artificial coloring you get in the packets of take-out Chinese duck sauce. It will keep refrigerated in a covered glass container for over a week.

Ingredients:
• ¾ cup apricot jam (or peach jam)
• 4 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 medium cloves of garlic (preferably finely grated, otherwise finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (or grated)
• ¼-½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne powder (or to taste)

Preparation:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to soften the taste of the garlic and ginger.

2. Allow to cool and rest for at least an hour before serving so that the flavors can meld.

3. Store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before serving.