I dunno you guys, pesto has been on my mind a lot the last few weeks. I blame garlic scape season. I blame my buttery pistachio pesto made with those addictive garlic scapes. I got a lot of blame, people.
Luckily, the result of all that blame is some really tasty recipes. So go make my pesto, then use it to make this. Then make even more pesto, because you will want to add it to everything, and you will have the intention to freeze it for future use, but somehow it will get all used up. <— Happened to me.
I just bought more garlic scapes, so maybe some pesto will make it to the freezer. Just maybe.
You may be thinking to yourself, “Why pomegranate, Sarah?” Well lovely readers, the garlic and pistachio flavors reminded me of Middle Eastern/North African cuisines and I went with it. It came out so good that I wrote this recipe you are reading right now.
For this recipe, I recommend Al Wadi Pomegranate Molasses. The first ingredient is pomegranate juice and not sugar like a lot of other brands. It’s more tart than sweet which I prefer. I also like to balance everything with a little bit of heat. You can use whichever hot sauce you like. I am partial to Sriracha.
I’m also partial to baking my chicken wings. I find it to be easier than deep fat frying. But if you like to deep fry, please do so in a fat that can withstand high temperatures, like beef tallow. Or you can grill. It’s up to you. I’m real chill like that. If you do go with baking, I recommend that you do it on an oven safe wire rack on top of a foil lined roasting pan. The wire rack allows air to circulate around the wings so they get crispy, and the foil lined roasting pan is to catch the fat drippings for easier clean up. The chicken wings will never touch the foil.
Before we get to the recipe, I want to remind you all to get whole chicken wings with the tips. That way you can keep the tips (and the bones) for making your next batch of chicken stock. If someone forced me to pick between chicken feet or chicken wing tips for making a kickass chicken stock, it would be wing tips all the way. Save those suckers.
Pomegranate Glazed Buttery Pesto Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds whole chicken wings broken down at joints into wingettes & drumettes. Wing tips reserved for broth making.
For the glaze
- 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (find some here)
- 5 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 4 tablespoons hot sauce (I like Sriracha)
- 4 tablespoons Garlic Scape, Pistachio, and Butter Pesto
- Small pinch of cinnamon
- 2 small pinches each of turmeric, cumin and coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- Handful of crushed pistachios
Instructions
For the chicken wings
- Preheat oven to 425F. Dry off wings with paper towels and place on wire rack. Place rack on an aluminum foil lined roasting pan and bake for about 20-25 mins until fully cooked. Midway through cooking flip wings. If a crisper wing is desired place under broiler. Keep on eye on them ensuring they don't burn.
For the glaze
- In a saucepan over a medium low heat, add all of the glaze ingredients except for the spices. Stir well and allow to thicken a bit before adding spices. Adjust salt as needed.
To Complete
- After chicken wings are cooked to desired crispiness, dip each wing into glaze with tongs. Garnish with crushed pistachios and serve.
Notes
- Pairs well with my Mint and Preserved Lemon Potato Salad Recipe
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