wing week round up

plus a substack exclusive recipe: salsa macha wings

If you have yet to try one of my wing week recipes, what are you waiting for?

Perhaps, you've been waiting for my salsa macha wings? Or maybe my Instagram exclusive collaboration with Bachan's & Whole Foods: my pho-inspired wings?

Good news. I'll be discussing both & recapping my wing series in this week's substack post!

It all started here. My unofficial but official 101 course offering you the chance to level up on everything wings: from sourcing the best wings to general tips on preparation. Quick q, you do own an air fryer, right?

After successful completion of my introductory course, I provided a non-refundable ticket to wing week. My annual series celebrating wings with a line-up of unique recipes. Let's do a quick roll call!

series round up

• peruvian inspired wings with an aji verde sauce – the wings have a hint of smoke which pairs perfectly with the savory, herbaceous dipping sauce

• smoky oleato wings – if you're unfamiliar with oleato, it's a combination of coffee & extra virgin olive oil; the wings were inspired by a collection of Starbucks beverages

• sticky za'atar wings with preserved lemon honey butter – the levantine edition of lemon pepper 

• extra dirty martini wings – the messiest wings with very pungent flavors inspired by the classic dirty martini but extra dirty

Two recipes remain in the queue. The first, my pho-inspired wings, debut Friday, September 13th exclusively on Instagram. In partnership with Bachan's & Whole Foods, I'm revisiting one of my favorite wing recipes: pho-inspired wings. Before you ask, no they don't taste like pho.

However, a big piping hot bowl of the aromatic Vietnamese soup was my inspiration for the recipe.

The recipe starts with a quick fish sauce brine for the wings. This creates a baseline of flavor that's kicked up a notch by freshly toasted, aromatic spices like star anise, coriander, clove & peppercorns in the dry rub. Once air-fried to crispy perfection, the wings are tossed in a citrusy, fish sauce spiked butter sauce & garnished with Thai basil. Yum, right? If you’re looking to impress during a watch party or an upcoming tailgate, this is the recipe for you.

I paired them with Bachan's new Japanese dipping sauces. Both are incredible but the Sweet & Spicy is my fave. You can check 'em out here.

Now for the substack exclusive recipe. My salsa macha wings.

I saved this recipe for last because it is the most time-consuming. Simple to prepare but not as effortless as my other recipes. If you're unfamiliar with salsa macha it's the Mexican cousin of chili oil hailing from Vera Cruz.

Similar to its cousin, it is full of flavor & texture which calls for a bit of monotonous prep work. However, once you make a batch, it'll last you quite some time – there will be enough for my wing recipe & then some.

recipe!

salsa macha wings

3-4 servings 10 mins prep + 15 mins cook | 25 mins total time
for salsa macha, 25 mins

ingredients

for salsa macha

• 4 chilies de arbol

• 3 anchos chilies

• 6 guajillo chilies

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao nibs

• 12 cloves garlic, peeled & minced

• 1 tablespoon pepitas, roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, roughly chopped

• 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds

• 1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

• 1 1/4 cups grapeseed oil

• 2 teaspoons ACV

• salt, to taste

for wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

• 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose seasoning

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

instructions

to prepare salsa macha,  remove stems & seeds from chilies de arbol, ancho & guajillo chilis. Discard stems & seeds. Chop or pulse peppers in a blender until broken down into small ~ 1/4-1/8 inch pieces. Add to a bowl, along with the cacao nibs, garlic, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds & brown sugar. Set bowl of ingredients aside. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour the oil over the ingredients. Whisk. Allow mixture to meld for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt & Mexican oregano. Add additional salt to taste. 

to prepare the wings, in a bowl, combine all purpose seasoning & baking powder. Set aside. Pat wings completely dry. Add to a bowl & drizzle with avocado oil. Toss. Sprinkle with seasoning mix. Toss again. Place wings in air fryer, at 375°F for 20-25 minutes OR 28-30 minutes (for extra crispy wings), flipping halfway through.

While chicken is air-frying, pulse 1 1/2 cups (equal parts oil & chunks) of prepared salsa macha in a blender. The end result shouldn't be completely smooth. Pour sauce over fried wings. Toss to coat.