Chicken wings get a unique Thai-inspired twist for game day. A flavorful mixture of blended lemongrass, garlic, shallots and herbs is used as a marinade for the chicken wings before they are added to a grill. After grilling, the wings are tossed with some of the reserved lemongrass mixture, more fresh herbs and lime juice. These umami-rich wings are the perfect excuse to use your grill one more time before the year's over; but if grilling is not in the cards, the marinated wings can also be broiled.
Technique tip: The chicken can be marinated for up to 2 days. The longer it marinates, the more flavor the chicken takes on. Instead of grilling, you can broil the wings by placing the marinated wings on a broiler-safe dish 6 inches from the heat source and cooking for about 20 minutes, turning as needed.
Swap option: For a weeknight dinner, swap out the wings for chicken drumsticks, thighs or breasts; adjust cooking time accordingly.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2/3 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 large shallots, peeled and quartered
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed to 8 inches and thinly sliced
- 1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 Thai chiles or small serrano chiles, coarsely chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 12 whole chicken wings
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Green Curry Paste (recipe above)
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Preparation
For the green curry paste:
Heat a small heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and stir for about 3 minutes, or until toasted. Transfer the coriander seeds to a plate to cool.
In a small food processor, combine the coriander seeds, cilantro, basil, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chiles and lime leaves and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until very finely chopped. Add the fish sauce and oil and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the processor, until a coarse paste forms.
For the wings:
1.Cut the chicken wings through the center joint to separate the drummettes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2.Rub the chicken with 1 cup of the curry paste to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3.Prepare a grill for medium heat. Oil the grill grate.
4.Grill the chicken wings for about 10 minutes, turning as needed, or until slightly charred and cooked through. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon curry paste and butter to coat. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges.