Chuck's Chicken Wings

Chef Chuck Hughes. Name sound familiar? I first discovered him on The Cooking Channel with a show called "Chuck's Night Off".  He's a Canadian chef, restaurateur and the chef/co-owner of Garde Manger and Le Bremner, both located in Old Montréal.
I watched him defeat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America a while back and more recently, you might remember him from The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs competition, but he was defeated in the third round. I've enjoyed watching his show from time to time and thought you'd like his wings recipe. We sure did. Don't they look sticky and divine? Just in time for the Super Bowl.

Balsamic Chicken Wings
Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes

Ingredients:

18 chicken wings 

1 cup honey 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup balsamic vinegar 

2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Lemon zest, for garnish

Method:

Remove the tips from the wings by cutting between the joints. Transfer the wings to a large resealable plastic bag. 

Combine the honey, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half the marinade into the bag with the chicken. Squeeze out most of the air and seal the bag. Shake gently to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, sear the chicken wings, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, flipping the wings often to prevent them from burning. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the remaining marinade. Continue to cook the wings on the stovetop until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken wings evenly. 

To serve, arrange the wings on a platter and garnish with lemon zest.