Alabama White Sauce Chicken Wings

How to marinate the chicken wings

1. Most chicken wing recipes use two parts of the wing, leaving out the thin tip. Alabama white sauce wings are also made from the two meatiest parts, and you can now buy wings packed exactly like that. They are cleanly plucked, have never been frozen and roast or bake beautifully.

2. Prepare the wings: wash them, pat dry with paper towels and cut at the joint into two pieces. If the wings are whole, cut off the thin tips.

   

   The wings are dry-marinated and left in the fridge. At first it may seem like too many spices and seasonings, but it isn’t: they give the meat a subtle flavour and aroma in which the spices are hinted at rather than pronounced.

3. Mix the spices: in a cup, combine 1 tbsp of brown sugar (14 g) (it can be very dark, also called muscovado) with half a teaspoon each of fine salt (3 g), granulated dried onion and garlic, chili powder, chili flakes and ground white pepper. To give the wings a reddish colour, also add 1 tsp of ground sweet paprika (2 g).

   

   Many white sauce wing recipes add baking powder to the dry rub, as it is believed to help form a crispy skin. Try it if you like.

4. Marinate the wings: put the pieces in a bowl, sprinkle with the spice mix and toss well so the spices are evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.

   

How to cook Alabama chicken wings

1. There are several ways to cook them. If you can, use a charcoal grill or an electric grill. You can also deep-fry them. The simplest option is an ordinary oven.

   Some versions also briefly smoke the wings, which gives the dish a special flavour. In that case, the wings are only partly cooked in the oven or on the grill, and the smoker finishes them.

2. Oil the wings and spread them out: take them out of the fridge, drizzle with 1 tbsp of neutral vegetable oil, toss and place on a baking tray in a single layer – I use a large ovenproof glass baking dish.

   

4. Preheat the oven thoroughly to 180-190°C, put in the tray of wings and roast for up to 45 min. Chicken is usually done in 25-30 min, but here it is better to cook it a little longer. Turn the pieces from time to time so they cook through and brown well. Don’t let them burn or stick to the tray. The wings are done when they are well browned and the juices run clear when pierced near the joint.

   

Making Alabama white sauce

1. Mayonnaise is the base of the white sauce. For 1 kg of wings, 100 ml of mayonnaise is enough. That said, the sauce is so tasty and so good for dipping the chicken that you may want to make more.

2. Make the sauce. Get the mayonnaise ready, homemade or a good-quality thick store-bought one, and the seasonings – nothing complicated or exotic.

   

   Add 1-2 tbsp of good apple cider vinegar to the mayonnaise. By the way, if you don’t like apple cider vinegar, use pickle brine instead – it tastes a little different, but very good. Other ingredients: 1 tbsp of natural honey (21 g) (or even 2 tbsp) and 0.5 tsp each of ground white pepper, fine salt, granulated garlic, mustard powder and chili flakes. A special addition is finely grated horseradish root or prepared horseradish. Mix the Alabama white sauce thoroughly; you can even whisk it.

   

Serving

1. A mayonnaise-based sauce doesn’t take strong heat well, so keep the time between adding the sauce and serving as short as possible.

2. Toss the wings with the sauce. Take the tray out of the oven, transfer the wings to a deep bowl and let them cool slightly: they should be very warm, not hot. Add half of the Alabama white sauce and toss right away.

   

3. Arrange and serve. Use a large flat plate with a small bowl of the remaining sauce in the middle for dipping. Arrange the wings one by one on the plate around the sauce bowl. I recommend sprinkling them with a pinch of finely chopped fresh dill and, if you like, chili flakes. Serve immediately!