Pigskin Pigout

Super Bowl is almost here--can't wait to have everyone gather for the big game on the big screen (even if my favorite team didn't make it to the big dance). When it comes to this family's football feast, the menu is almost as sacrosanct as Thanksgiving. It ain't game day without a big platter of bubbling nachos, creamy guacamole and spicy buffalo chicken wings, requisite blue cheese dip and celery sticks on the side. The half-time show is usually a big pot of my slowly simmered, densely rich Tyler's Texas Chili, with all the fixings and cornbread to boot. But this year I've decided to step out of my comfort zone--it's time to put a different spin on our traditional treats, starting with those wings. My new "it" ingredient is making a command performance in the piquant sauce that mind blowingly transforms this chicken. Roasted, not fried, they're hot and candied to perfection. The creamy yogurt dip, with a decidedly Asian twist, is tangy, tasty and cool complement to the zesty wings. Stay tuned--I'll tackle those other snacks in my next post. 

Korean Spicy Wings with 
Ginger Scallion Yogurt Dip 

The magic ingredient in this recipe is Gochujang, the Korean chili paste that I recently introduced to you here. Roasted chicken wings are the perfect foil for its slightly sweet and spicy character--blended with Asian flavors and a little acid, this sauce is well balanced and lip smackingly good.

Begin by preparing the Spicy Sauce: in a medium bowl combine the Gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and pressed garlic cloves.

Peel a 2 inch chunk of ginger and grate it on a microplane--that should yield enough for both the sauce and the dip. Add a heaping teaspoon to the sauce and stir to combine all ingredients well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. I like to rinse my poultry in cool water before use; drain and dry well with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl and add canola oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well with your hands, then lay them skin side up on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the wings from the oven and use tongs to turn them over. Roast for 10 more minutes.

Baste the chicken wings with the spicy sauce, flip the wings over and baste on the other side. Put the pan back in the oven to finish cooking, about 10 minutes more, until the wings are glazed.

While the wings are roasting, make the Yogurt Dip. Besides being the perfect partner to the sticky, zesty wings, the good news is that this dip is also a lot lighter than the usual blue cheese. Use nonfat Greek yogurt, which is lusciously thick, and you'll never miss the calories. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt with rice vinegar, lime juice and honey. Add the other teaspoon of grated ginger, pressed garlic clove, finely chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Season with kosher salt to taste.

Platter the wings and garnish with chopped scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds. Serve the yogurt dip and cucumber sticks alongside. Oh, and you'll need lots of napkins!

Serves 2 to 4:

2 pounds chicken wings (about 24), preferably organic
2 tablespoons canola oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spicy Sauce:

3 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar 
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Yogurt Dip: 

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
kosher salt to taste

1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks
chopped scallion greens
toasted sesame seeds