Curry Chicken Wings

I was a chicken wing fan long before they became a thing for Superbowl get-togethers. In fact, long before there even was a Superbowl.

My mother always gave us kids, my brothers and me, the chicken wings because she said they were the best part.

She was right. And she was generous, or maybe just being a good Mom, giving the best part to the kids.

Chicken wings are a staple in my kitchen. Here is one of my favorite ways to make them.

HONEY-CURRY STICKY WINGS

• 24-28 chicken wing parts

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the wing parts and place them on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, Dijon mustard, vegetable oil, curry powder and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook for one minute, stirring to blend the ingredients thoroughly and remove from the heat. Brush the tops of the wings with some of the honey mixture. Bake the wings for 10 minutes. Turn the wings over, brush with more of the honey mixture and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the wings over again, brush with the remaining honey mixture and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the wings are golden brown and crispy looking. You can also grill the wings, turning them occasionally and brushing with the honey mixture.

Makes 24-28 pieces

Stirfried Couscous with Chicken, Dried Apricots and Pistachios

Stirfried Couscous with Chicken, Dried Apricots and Pistachios

This is one of the dishes from my class last night at Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut. It was such a lovely evening! The focus was foods for Tu B’Shevat (sort of an Israeli Earth Day), which is always such a big winner as far as food is concerned because we get to eat lots of fruit, including dried fruit, which I love. And everyone who attended the demo seemed to love too.

The recipe is Stirfried Chicken with Dried Apricots and Pistachios, from my book, Hip Kosher. As I explained, this is a versatile dish! I used couscous but you can also use rice or any other whole grain, like farro or barley.

And you can use different fruit — figs, dried cranberries and so on.

I’ve made this dish with lamb chunks too and it’s also delicious.

Or go vegetarian. Leave out the meat and use tofu or peas or water chestnuts and so on.

Pistachios are my favorite for this but cashews would work too.

I say this dish is perfect for Tu B’Shevat but really, it’s for all-year.

Stir-Fried Couscous with Chicken, Dried Apricots and Pistachios (from Hip Kosher)

• 1-3/4 cups Israeli couscous

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 16-20 ounces boneless chicken, cut into bite-size chunks

• 4 thick scallions, chopped

• 1 cup chopped dried apricots

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup shelled pistachios

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Make the couscous according to the package directions. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wok, stir-fry pan, or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until the meat is white and cooked through. Dish out and set aside. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan. Add the scallions and cook for 1–2 minutes or until softened. Add the apricots, cumin, and cinnamon and cook briefly, stirring constantly. Add the couscous and chicken and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes to distribute the ingredients well. Stir in the pistachio nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat hot or let cool to lukewarm.

Makes 4 servings.

Braised Chicken with Figs and Grapes

I recently bought a whole bunch of dried figs, dates, plums (prunes) and California apricots in preparation for a Tu B’Shevat food demo/class I am doing for Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 (it’s free, so if you’re in the area, give us a call).

Tu B’Shevat is a joyous holiday, a kind of Earth Day, when we celebrate and try to be mindful of our planet and its resources. This was a day I remember my parents donating money to plant trees in Israel.

With its focus on earth’s bounty, the food for this holiday features lots of fruit, including those dried fruits I mentioned. Like this chicken dish, which is braised with apple cider (sometimes I use orange juice or orange-pineapple juice), seasoned with curry and ginger and of course, includes dried figs (though any dried fruit will do!).

braised CHICKEN WITH FIGS AND GRAPES

• 1-3/4 cups apple cider (or use orange or orange-pineapple juice)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 6 bone-in pieces of chicken

• 1 shallot, chopped (or use a small onion)

• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 1/2 cup diced dried figs (or use other dried fruit such as prunes, apricots, nectarines or dates)

• 2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup halved fresh grapes

• chopped fresh mint

• cooked bulgur wheat, rice or noodles, optional

Boil the cider for about 5 minutes or until it has reduced to 3/4 cup. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside on a plate. Add the shallot, ginger and diced figs to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes over low-medium heat. Return the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the ingredients with curry powder, Aleppo pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Pour in the reduced cider. Turn the pieces of chicken to coat all sides with the pan ingredients. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add the grapes and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. Serve on a bed of cooked bulgur wheat, rice or noodles if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Soy and Honey Marinade

I prefer chicken breast on the bone — it tends to be juicier because the bones protect the meat from the heat. And besides, I am a bone chewer!

On the other hand, when it’s summer and I’m a little less motivated to cook and want an easy dinner, boneless chicken sure comes in handy.

I’ve made this dish many times (changed the sweetener to agave or maple; once used molasses; used pineapple juice instead of orange juice; left out the chili pepper because my sister-in-law, who was coming for dinner, doesn’t like even a hint of spice in her food). It’s easy to prepare the marinade and the good thing is, I can marinate the chicken ahead of time. Cooking takes anywhere from 10 to 16 minutes, max.

Easy peasy.

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Grilled Chicken Breasts with Orange, Soy Sauce and Honey

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange zest

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 2 scallions, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper

• 4 skinless and boneless half chicken breasts or 8 small chicken thighs

Combine the soy sauce, orange juice, olive oil, honey, orange zest, ginger, scallions, garlic and chili pepper in a deep dish. Place the chicken in the marinade, refrigerate and let rest for 1-4 hours, turning the pieces occasionally. Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 5-8 minutes per side, depending on size and thickness, turning the pieces occasionally, or until cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Brisket Wings

I don’t wait for Superbowl to serve chicken-wings. They’re one of our favorite foods to eat and are a regular item for dinner.

I make wings in all sorts of ways, with all sorts of seasonings and all levels of sweetness and spiciness. I’ve made them Korean style and Jewish style and East India style.

Recently I made some “brisket wings.”

What?

Here’s what I mean — I recently made brisket, which I slow-cook to tenderness and then light up our outside grill to cook it Texas-style. I use any one of a number of BBQ sauces I’ve developed over the years. BBQ sauce helps the meat come out with those fabulous crispy edges and burnt ends. (During colder months I use the oven broiler.)

I had some of the brisket sauce leftover so I decided to use it for some wings.

PERFECT!

This is a universal sauce! I have since even slathered some on top of some hamburgers, for extra burger goodness.

Here’s the recipe. I cooked the wings on a medium grill (lightly coat them with vegetable oil first), and then, after about 12-15 minutes, coat them with some sauce and cook them until crispy and done.

These wings would be terrific for Father’s Day!

BARBECUE SAUCE FOR BRISKET, WINGS AND MORE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper

• 2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade

• 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• pinch of ground cloves

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook briefly. Add the ketchup, marmalade, coffee, honey, Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and cloves and stir to blend them. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or until thick.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Airfried Fried Chicken vs. Traditional Fried Chicken

Airfried breaded chicken wings

Traditional fried breaded chicken wings

I’ve continued to experiment with my air fryer and have had great success, particularly with vegetables.

I don’t love it for everything and I’ve written about that (latkes were an absolute disaster). Also, you can only do a small amount in an air fryer, so whereas cooking for two can be a plus, for a family, not so much.

Recently I made breaded fried chicken wings again and tested it out on 6 people. I served one recipe of old fashioned fried chicken (fried in soybean oil), and one recipe of airfried chicken.

The score was 3-3! Half the people liked the regular, half liked the airfried!

And so my friends, here is the recipe I used for each: you choose!

Please note: this experiment was for breaded chicken. I have a different recipe and procedure for roasted and airfried UNbreaded chicken wings.

Fried BREADED Chicken Wings

• 12 chicken wings cut into sections

• 2/3 cup all purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• vegetable shortening or vegetable oil

Wash and dry the chicken sections. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder and black pepper in a large dish. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture. If possible, let the pieces airdry for at least 15 minutes. Heat enough shortening or vegetable oil in a deep cast iron or heavy skillet to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken. When the temperature reaches about 365 degrees (hot enough to sizzle a bread crumb quickly), add a few chicken pieces at a time — do not crowd the pan. Cook over medium heat, turning pieces occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until all pieces are well browned and cooked through. Drain the chicken on paper towels. 

To make this in an airfryer, coat the chicken with the flour mixture as above, then spray lightly with vegetable oil spray. Preheat the airfryer to 400 degrees. Place the wing parts in a single layer in the airfryer. Cook for 8 minutes, turn the pieces and cook for about 8 minutes or until nicely browned and crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ed’s birthday is coming up soon and even though we’ve dined on fancy food and feasted on multi-course meals at lovely restaurants; even though I’ve cooked fancy food and prepared multi-course meals, it’s not what he wants for his birthday.

He always wants Chinese food. Usually, old-fashioned Cantonese style Chinese food, the kind he remembers from his boyhood. Like this Sweet and Sour Chicken. It’s also a perfect dish for Lunar New Year which begins on Sunday January 22.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 large egg

• 16-20 ounces boneless chicken, cut into bite-size chunks

• Vegetable oil

• 1/2 small green or yellow bell pepper cut into chunks

• 1/2 small red bell pepper cut into chunks

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to warm. Make the sauce: place the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a saucepan. Cook the ingredients over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Mix the ingredients, turn off the heat and set aside.

Mix the coating ingredients: place the flour, cornstarch, water and egg in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly until a smooth batter has formed. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat all the pieces.

Add enough vegetable oil to a deep saute pan to cover the chicken pieces halfway. Heat the oil until it is hot enough for a bread crumb to sizzle. Cook a few chicken pieces at a time (don’t crowd the pan) for about 4 minutes or until the pieces are browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and place in the preheated warm oven. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil from the pan. Add the bell pepper pieces, onion and garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the pineapple chunks and cook for a minute to heat the pieces. Spoon the vegetables and pineapple into the sauce and reheat over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until hot. Mix the cornstarch/water together until smooth, add it to the sauce and stir until the sauce has thickened.

Place the chicken onto a serving platter. Pour the sauce on top and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Bones Soup

Okay, okay, this is not gorgeous food.

But trust me, this is good soup. Good for the taste buds, good for the soul. And it’s a useful, delicious way to use the Thanksgiving turkey carcass.

Think of this as a special ugly duckling. I mean turkey.

Turkey bones Soup

• turkey carcass, bones, etc, scraps

• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick

• 2 stalks celery, peeled, leaves included if available, and sliced 1-inch thick

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick

• 1 28-ounce can tomatoes plus the liquid

• 10 cups water

• salt and pepper

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 cup short macaroni such as elbows

• 1 cup frozen peas

Place the turkey pieces, carrots, celery, onion, parsnip and tomatoes in a soup pot. Cover with the water, add salt, pepper and dill and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat. and simmer for 3-1/2 hours. Add the macaroni and peas and cook for another 15 minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings

Tzimmes Chicken

 Not everyone in my family likes brisket, so on Rosh Hashanah I make a second main course. This year I had planned on Baked Chicken with Fig-Orange Balsamic Sauce, the most popular dish on my website. But I’ve not been able to get fresh figs.

Wow, that was a short fig season!

So, I’m going to make this Tzimmes Chicken, which is basically braised/roasted chicken plus some of the ingredients I use to make one of my modern meatless tzimmes recipes.

Although the Yiddish word tzimmes means “a big fuss,”this recipe certainly isn’t! It’s not complicated, it’s easy to cook and you can make it ahead and reheat.

Fyi, a few years ago this recipe appeared in The Jewish Week Food & Wine, but the recipes on their website are no longer be available.

Shanah Tovah.

ROASTED TZIMMES CHICKEN

• 3 1/2 to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 16-18 dried apricots

• 12 large Medjool dates, pitted

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a large oven-proof sauté pan in the oven (cast iron if you have it) for 15 minutes. Dry the chicken using paper towels. Rub one tablespoon of the olive oil over the pieces and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces, skin down for breasts and thighs in the hot pan and place the pan in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. While the chicken is roasting, combine the onion, garlic, apricots, dates, orange peel, rosemary, Balsamic vinegar, honey and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. After the initial 10 minutes of roasting, turn the chicken pieces. The skin should be browned, if not, return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes. Scatter the fruit mixture on top of and between the chicken pieces. Return the pan to the oven. Turn the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer will read 160 degrees). Baste 2-3 times during roasting. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Country Captain (Curry Chicken)

Country Captain

A few years ago I cooked a recipe for Country Captain — a curry chicken dish that’s very popular in the South.

We liked it so much that I made it many times over the years and in fact, used to include the recipe in a few of my cooking classes.

Then, “knowing how way leads onto way” I prepared other recipes, new ones, experimental ones, riffs on old ones — and forgot about Country Captain.

Recently, when I was cleaning out some files, I found my old recipe (computer paper version, sauce-stained of course).

I made the dish for dinner recently and lo and behold! We liked it again!

Country Captain started as an Indian dish but somehow, because of its popularity in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia it became a Southern specialty. There are all sorts of stories about the recipe’s provenance and why it became such an iconic regional dish. I’m not sure of the whys and hows. All I know is how delicious it is. Apparently it was a favorite of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and General George Patton.

Basically Country Captain is braised chicken and tomatoes with curry seasoning and served over cooked white rice. There’s usually a garnish of toasted almonds, which add some crunch and flavor, but I’ve made the dish without the nuts and it’s just fine!

Country Captain

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into 8 parts (or 4 breasts or whole legs)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into chunks

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 2 teaspoons curry powder, mild or hot or a combination

• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 to 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock or tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup raisins or currants

• Cooked white rice

• 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional

• chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Wash the chicken and dredge the pieces in the flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add pieces of the chicken a few at a time and cook for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned, turning pieces occasionally. Remove and set aside on a plate. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir to combine ingredients. Pour in 1/2 cup of the stock. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the pan ingredients over the chicken, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and raisins or currants. Add more stock if the pan seems dry. Cook another five minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over cooked white rice.  Sprinkle with the almonds and parsley if desired.

Makes 4 servings