https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/crispy-baked-chicken-wings/Chicken Wings in Oven Recipe
Last week Saturday. 2pm. My wife say “your brother and his wife dey come by 5pm. Make something small.”
Small ke? My brother’s wife no chop small. I open freezer. Chicken wings. Three packs. Frozen like rock.
I begin panic. If I defrost for microwave, the meat go cook partially and turn rubber. If I leave for room temperature, by 5pm e still go be ice inside.
So I take the wings put for basin. Pour cool water not hot because hot water go start cooking the outside. Cold water. Leave am for 30 minutes. Come back, drain, pour fresh cold water again. Another 30 minutes. The wings soft now. Not perfect but soft.
Now, drying. Biko, any recipe wey tell you say paper towel alone go dry chicken wings properly – that person never cook for crowd before. I take the wings put on my draining rack. I set my small table fan – the blue one wey dey make noise – point am directly at the wings. 25 minutes. The fan blow away all the moisture. The skin turn dry like old leather. Then I use one paper towel just to wipe the last water wey remain for corners.
That fan trick? Nobody taught me. I discover am one day when my AC was leaking and I used fan to dry the floor. I look the wings way I put for side, see say the fan dey blow them, I touch the skin – e dry well well. Since that day, I never go back.
Now baking powder. My first time using am, I carry baking soda by mistake. You know wetin happen? The wings turn greenish-grey. I almost cry. My wife ask “what is that?” I say “experiment.” She say “experiment for dustbin.”
So na baking powder you go use. One tablespoon for every two pounds. Mix with salt – one teaspoon. Black pepper – half teaspoon. Garlic powder – half teaspoon. Paprika – just for redness. Add two tablespoon of oil. Use your clean hand to mix everything inside big bowl. The mixture go stick to your fingers. That’s fine.
Oven. 425°F. But I no trust my oven. I buy small thermometer for 3000 naira wey I hang for inside oven. When my oven dial say 425, the real temperature na 390. So I set to 460. The thermometer read 425. Perfect.
Line tray with foil. Put wire rack on top. No wire rack? Crush foil into long snake shapes. Roll three snakes. Lay them across the tray. Put wings on top of the foil snakes. Air go circulate underneath. This one na poverty method but e work.
Arrange wings one by one. Leave space. If they touch, they will steam and the skin go turn soft. I no fit shout this one enough. Space. Space. Space.
Baking. Put for middle rack. Set timer for 20 minutes. When timer beep, open the door. Hot air go hit your face. Use tongs to flip each wing. Close door. Set another 20 minutes.
After this second 20 minutes, take one wing out. Cut am with knife. If juice wey come out clear – not pink – done. If pink, give am 5 more minutes. Also check the skin. If e still soft, give am 5 more minutes at 425 but watch am so e no burn.
Sauce. My brother’s wife like peppery. I take half stick butter melt for small pot. Add half cup of Frank’s hot sauce. Whisk. Taste. Add more pepper if you want. Pour for bowl.
But here is my trick: I no toss the wings inside sauce. Instead, I put the sauce for small bowl for table. Each person go dip their own wings. Why? Because when you toss wings in sauce, after 10 minutes the skin go become soft. But when you dip, the skin stay crispy for one hour. I learn this one after I catered a party where all my wings turned to mush before people even start eating. Never again.
One more thing. If you are cooking for 6 people, use 4 pounds of wings. But bake in two trays. Swap the trays after 20 minutes – top tray go down, bottom tray go up. That way all wings cook evenly.
Leftover? Hardly dey. But if you get, put for container but no close the lid tight. Leave small opening so steam fit escape. Reheat for oven at 375 for 8 minutes. Microwave go spoil the skin.
