Weekend Cooking: Spicy Apricot Wings

 I am a wing maniac, people.  If I weren't worried about weighing, like, 500 pounds, I'd eat them every day.  Preferably VERY SPICY Buffalo wings.  (If my nose doesn't run, then they aren't spicy enough.)  But I tried this recipe the other evening, which I had ripped out of the June 2011 Food and Wine magazine, and it sounded like a nice twist.  

The entire family went crazy.  Even my mom, the wing disliker, liked them.  

So I had to share.

Spicy Apricot Wings

1/2 cup hickory, apple or apricot wood chips
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce
2 TBL light brown sugar
1 TBL soy sauce
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 TBL kosher salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 ground ginger
3 pounds chicken wings (wing tips removed and wings cut into two pieces)

1.  Light a gas grill.  Wrap wood chips in heavy duty foil and pierce the roil packet with a skewer.  Add the packet to the grill.  Cover and let the wood chips begin to smoke, 5 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the apricot preserves with the Worcestershire sauce, light brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, cayenne and ginger.  Scrape half of the mixture into a small bowl.  Add the chicken wings to the large bowl and toss to coat well in the sauce.  Let wings stand for 5 minutes.

3.  Grill the chicken wings, covered, over moderately high heat, turning them occasionally, until they are charred in spots and cooked through, 22 to 25 minutes.  Transfer the chicken wings to a platter and serve with reserved sauce on the side.  

Beer suggestion:  Citrusy wheat beer (SweetWater Sch'Wheat from Georgia)
Wine suggestion:  Fruit-forward Oregon Pinot Gris (2009 Montinore Estate)

Sandy's variation:  I really don't like to grill (I have a fear of it exploding) and the hubby wasn't home yet so I skipped the wood chips and baked them in the oven at 400 degrees.  I would occasionally turn them and baste them until they were cooked through and the skin was slightly crispy.  Oooooh, that sauce kind of caramelizes while baking and gets all sticky.  They were divine.

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