2012 Cooking Club Week 38: Pomegranate Sriracha Mint Chicken Wings

I usually serve a big bowl of chicken wings on the weekends. There's always a bottle of good ol' reliable Frank's in the larder, but occasionally I'd hunt for new exciting combination of flavours to try.
Love Sriracha. Love mint. Pomegranate was a strange addition, so I thought I'd give it a go. As it turned out, the sticky coating sauce subtly compliments the moorish spice-rubbed wings.
You can find the original recipe from Aarti Party here. There's a good bit of work that goes in this, along with a long list of ingredients, but don't be put off by them. I couldn't get my hands on the key ingredient pomegranate molasses (apparently they're available in Middle Eastern stores but I had no luck) so I've also included a recipe for a homemade one, and it's dead easy.


U]Spice-rubbed Wings[/U
2 pounds chicken wings
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 generous tbsp cumin seeds
1 generous tbsp cracked black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, or seeds from 16 green cardamom pods
2 tbsp dry mustard
1 generous tbsp salt
Oil for brushing or non-stick spray

[Sauce]
3 tbsp rapeseed oil or other neutral oil; avoid using olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses** (recipe below)
1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha (this only gives a subtle heat, so feel free to add more if you fancy that extra punch)
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
4 tbsp butter
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

**[ Pomegranate molasses]
4 cup pomegranate juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

*The jar on front right is the homemade molasses


Method:
If you can get the pomegranate molasses, great. Otherwise, you need to make this first before anything else.

*Pomegranate molasses*

• Combine the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 80-90 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes, as this will thicken the liquid into molasses.
• Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

*Wings*

• Disjoint the wings into three and discard the tips (or keep it for making stock).
• Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel; It’s vital that you DON’T SKIP THIS STEP! This will both help the rub adhere and ensure crispy skin.
• In a pan, add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cracked black peppercorns and cardamom seeds. Toast it lightly until fragrant.
• Pour the spices into a grinder and blitz them to a fine powder.
• Transfer the ground spice mixture into a small bowl and add the mustard and salt. Combine well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mixture for the sauce.
• Place the wings in a large bowl and add remaining spice mixture; toss to coat the wings well. Let them sit for about at least an hour.
• About 15 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 190C. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and brush the rack with oil or cooking spray. Place the wings on the prepared rack at an even distance from each other.
• Pop into the oven for about 45 minutes, flipping the wings over halfway through, and rotating the baking sheet for even cooking.

*Sauce*

• As the wings are roasting away, make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the rapeseed oil until shimmering.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.Then add the reserved 2 tablespoons spice blend and cook another 30 seconds.
• Stir in the pomegranate molasses, Sriracha and mint leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then finish with the butter and lemon juice. Stir, taste for seasoning and set aside off the heat.
• When the wings are done, put the sauce through a sieve over a bowl, squeezing every drop with the back of a ladle. It might not look much but it’s actually enough to coat 2lbs of wings. But if need be, thin the sauce with a few teaspoons of water.

• Toss the wings with the sticky sauce. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!:)