Chicken Wings Finished on the Grill
Good chicken wings are hard to come by – great ones are almost impossible! Last weekend, my dear friend, Chef Chris Dancesia and I got to hang out in the backyard and make his incredible duck fat confit chicken wings. We then took the wings and finished them on a Green Egg grill and topped them with a honey butter garlic sauce. These wings turned out great! The plate was licked clean and we’re all ready for another order.
Tricks of the Trade: Chef Tips
People often ask me what the secret is to making great food. One of the simplest tips I can give any cook, home chef, or weekend grill master is to start with great ingredients, keep it simple and don’t get in their way. You don’t need 45 ingredients in a recipe to make it amazing. If you start with quality and include a few ingredients that will accent, not mask or hide the natural flavors, and prepare the dish right, you’re sure to have a home run.
One of the things I appreciate about this recipe is its simplicity. These wings come out tender, flavorful and still plump. One of the drawbacks to frying wings is that they shrink in the fryer. This method of roasting in the duck fat and finishing on the grill keeps all the juices in the wings. It’s truly a recipe for wing lovers and haters alike – it’s impossible to not like these wings! Chef Chris did a great job researching methods and has found a winning combination.
Using Truffle Products in Your Wing Sauce
I’m a big fan of Tartufo Prestige‘s truffles and truffle products. They source straight from the wild in Europe (truffles are almost impossible to farm and never as good farmed as fresh), and have a great selection of premium products that will really elevate dishes. It’s key to remember that a little truffle goes a long ways, so while truffles and truffle products are expensive, you can stretch them by using them as they are best – an accent only and not the star of the show.
We used Tartufo‘s Truffle Honey and Truffle Sea Salt in the Honey Butter Garlic Sauce. Again, just a pinch goes a long ways and really kicks the flavors up in this recipe. The sauce turned out phenomenal with an incredible balance of sweetness and garlic and a hint of truffle. If you don’t have these products on hand, regular sea salt and a light colored honey will work as alternatives.
A Couple Chefs at the Beach
Watch the replay videos of Chef Chris and I hanging out at St. Augustine Beach.
A Couple Chefs at the Beach, Part 1
A Couple Chefs at the Beach, Part 2
Chef Chris’s Chicken Wings
Notes
^ If saving for later, place cooled wings into vacuum seal bags and vacuum seal the wings. Place in freezer until ready to use. TO REHEAT: Remove from freezer and thaw. You can place in cold water bath to expedite thawing. Bring pot of water to a boil reduce heat medium. Place bags in water and heat for 3 minutes. Remove wings from hot water bath, open bags and place wings on hot grill. Toss with favorite wing sauce and enjoy.
^^ Save the Duck Fat: When pan cools and duck fat solidifies, make a hole in the corner and drain out the liquid stock from under the fat. Scoop out the fat, place in a bag and freeze.
Tartufo Prestige Truffle Products can be purchased on the website: https://tartufoprestige.us/.
Ingredients
- INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
- 2 lbs Wings
- 2 lbs Duck Fat
- Roasting Pan
- Aluminum Foil
- —
- SALT CURE INGREDIENTS
- Kosher Salt, 2 Cups
- Pepper, 1 Cup
- Red Pepper Flakes, 2 Tbsp
- Bay Leaves, 3 whole
- —
- HONEY BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 stick Butter
- Black Pepper
- Sea Salt, Truffle Salt optional
- Truffle Honey, optional
Instructions
- Place wings in a non-reactive bowl and rub with salt cure mix to cover wings, cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours^.
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse cure off wings and pat dry. It’s ok if there is a little salt mixture on wings. Pour duck fat into sauce pot and warm to liquify.
- Place wings in a roasting pan, cover with warm duck fat. Place a piece of parchment paper over wings and wrap with foil.
- Place in 300 degree oven and cook for 1 hour or until internal temperature of wings reads 175 degrees. Remove wings from oven and rest in duck fat^^ at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Remove wings from roasting pan and place on sheet pan with cooling rack to allow excess duck fat to drip from wings.
- Place wings on hot grill to crisp skin on both sides. Internal temperature of wings should be 150 degrees. Toss wings with favorite hot sauce and serve.