RICHMOND, Va - 'Esquire' Magazine calls him "America's Grill Master," Steven Raichlen has written over 30 books, including The New York Times bestselling Planet Barbecue! Today, he talks about his new cookbook, "Man Made Meals" and shares his signature 'Fire-Eater' Chicken Wings. For more information visit online at www.stevenraichlen.com.
FIRE EATER CHICKEN WINGS
2 raw wings (all 3 sections attached) to show how to cut into sections
1 can of pimenton to show—remaining rub ingredients can be in a bowl (separate by kind so I can reference them)
1 batch of cooked wings—can be prepared the night ahead and rewarmed
1 batch of sauce ingredients measured out—this is what I will prepare on air
1 8 to 10 inch skillet—preferably cast iron
if station does not have a range or burner, please bring a tabletop butane burner (like a Cassette Feu)
Platter
Plenty of napkins
SR shows how to cut chicken wing
Seasons chicken wings
Describes cooking—pulls out platter or skillet of cooked wings
Prepares topping (we will need a second skillet for this)
Pours hot topping over the wings
Serve at once. Be sure to provide serving plates and plenty of napkins for host)
Serves: 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a light main course.
3 pounds chicken wings
For the seasoning mixture:
1 tablespoons pimentón or sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
For the sauce:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 to 5 jalapeno peppers (preferably red, or other hot peppers—depends on your tolerance for heat), thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot®, Crystal Hot Sauce, or Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
You’ll also need: 1-1/2 hardwood chips, soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drained.
Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees). Brush and oil the grill grate
Cut each chicken wing through the joints into 2 sections, the drumette and the flat, discarding the wing tip (or save it for stock). Place the wings in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the pimentón , salt, pepper, cayenne, onion and garlic powder, and celery seed, if using and mix with your fingers. Sprinkle over the chicken and toss to mix. Add the olive oil and toss to mix.
Arrange the chicken wings rounded side up on the grate over the drip pan away from the heat. Leave a little space between each wing. Toss the wood chips on the coals (or place in the smoker box of your gas grill.) Indirect grill the wings, turning once with tongs, until darkly browned and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the wings. To check for doneness, make a slit in the thickest part of the largest drumette: there should be no traces of pink.
Don’t have access to a grill? Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Oil the rack with a folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Arrange the wings on the rack. Bake until browned and cooked through, turning once or twice with tongs, 40 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in skillet. (Bubbles will dance when you dip a chile slice in the butter.) Add the chile slices and cilantro to the butter and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and bring to a boil. If cooking the wings in the oven or on a gas grill, add a few drops of liquid smoke.
Transfer the chicken wings to a large shallow bowl. Pour most of the butter mixture over them and toss to mix, reserving some of the chile slices. Pour the remaining butter mixture and chiles on top and serve at once.
Belgian Beer Brownies
Time: 15 minutes prep time, plus 20 to 30 minutes for baking
1 cup Three Philosophers Ale or 1/2 cup stout, like Guinness
2 ounces really good bittersweet chocolate
1 cup all-purpose unbleached white flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Place the ale in a heavy saucepan and boil it until reduced by half. Place in a bowl and let cool. Note: if using stout or porter, there’s no need to boil it down.
Rough-chop the bittersweet chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1-tablespoon flour and toss to coat the chocolate. (This keeps the chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the batter.)
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Brush or smear a little of the butter on the bottom and inside sides of the baking dish. Chill for 5 minutes, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour inside the pan, shaking and tilting the pan to coat the bottom and sides.
Add the unsweetened chocolate to the butter in the saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring with a rubber spatula.
Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Whisk in the reduced ale or stout, vanilla, salt, and butter-chocolate mixture. Stir in the bittersweet chocolate chunks. Spoon the mixture into the buttered floured pan and place in the oven.
Bake the brownies until the top is puffed and firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes. An inserted skewer will come out mostly dry—a little stickiness is OK.
Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then cut into 12 rectangles for serving.
