What would game day be without wings?! Host of the History Channel's "The Food That Built America" Adam Richman is stopping by the TODAY kitchen to dish about the history of chicken wings and share a few of his favorite recipes inspired by flavors from around the world. He shows us how to make shawarma-spiced wings with garlic dipping sauce, sticky and sweet Polynesian-inspired wings and Kentucky pepper-peach glazed wings.
A shawarma meal can present a wonderful array of textures, flavors, sauces and accompaniments. Think: za'atar, Aleppo pepper and hawaij, an awesome mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and turmeric. I've tried to bring some of those wonderful combinations to the universally beloved chicken wing. In keeping with the theme, I created a dipping sauce to serve on the side, which is reminiscent of the toum (garlic sauce) found at many amazing shawarma restaurants. This one gets a bit of sweetness from dates and smoky heat from Aleppo pepper.
Mochiko is a glutinous rice flour that I first saw used as a crispy, sweet coating for fish by Chef Mavro at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. It creates an incredible crispy exterior with a wonderful hint of sweetness that really enhances the flavor of the chicken while sealing in all the juiciness. Add some spice and a lot of sesame and you get a distinctly Polynesian flavor that is unique and delicious. If you like this coating, try it on fried fish fillets or even veggies.
I love this recipe because it revisits familiar flavors but adds different contrasts to the mix such as smoke, confit onion and garlic (an ode to chef Esther Choi's "Chili Soil") and charred habanero. Bonus: There's even more texture, thanks to the use of chunky peach preserves. The classic bourbon-peach flavor profile gains extra nuance and a hit of heat from the onions and other ingredients.
If you like those wonderful wing recipes, you should also try these:
