This is a great way to enjoy chicken wings with a little added surprise of flavor inside. This appetizer does take a little extra time to prep but the end result is definitely worth the work. This will definitely be one of the best wings you have ever had. It is not your typical flavored wing with hot sauce, ranch or blue cheese but you could easily make those typical flavors. I choose to go more with Indian flavors because they are bold and not only do I love them but so did all the guest for this get together. This was actually one of the dishes I did this summer when Ron White came to dinner.
20 chicken wings (wings only no drummies) extra fat on sides removed and both ends trimmed
3 cups of chicken stock or water
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
2 tbsp of tandoori dry spice
Pinch of salt
12 oz of chicken breast cut into large chunks
2 clove of garlic
1 jalapeno sliced
2 tbsp of tandoori paste
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp of chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
3 cups of flour
2 cups of buttermilk
2 tbsp of dry tandoori spice
salt and pepper
Yogurt
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 tbsp of dill
2 tbsp of fresh chopped mint
1 lime juiced
Salt and pepper
2 cups of vegetable oil for frying
2 tbsp of snipped chives
For the chicken wings
After trimming the sides and ends of the wing, place the wings in the broth (or water) with shallot, garlic and spice. Bring to a simmer and then shut off. This should not only cook the wings a little but also soften the wings to allow you to take the bones out of the wing but still maintaining the shape. Try to keep the wing intact, if some of the tops separate from the bottom completely it is okay you can "glue" them back together. Once all the bones are out set the wings aside until ready to stuff. Save the liquid for stock or soup or just discard if using water.
In a food processor place garlic and jalapeno. Puree until chopped fine. Then add chicken breast, tandoori paste, cilantro, salt, pepper, and spices. Puree until you have a really smooth chicken paste. In a small saute pan take a tiny piece of the chicken paste and cook in 1 tsp of oil to test the flavor, make sure to cook all the way through. Taste the chicken mixture to see if the seasoning needs to be adjusted, and then adjust accordingly. Then take the mixture and put into a disposable pastry bag and pipe a small amount into each of the chicken wings. You should be able to put at least a tbsp into each wing without it exploding out the sides. Once you have filled the wings place them in the refrigerator to help them set or "glue" together. I guess if you had meat glue (transglutaminase) you could use a little to help the wings that got separated but I didn't need to since the raw chicken in the middle help hold together any that fell apart.
For the yogurt
Place all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Keep cold until ready to use.
Add oil to a large cast iron skillet and turn on medium high heat.
Set up a basic breading station with a bowl of flour and a bowl of buttermilk ( If you don't have buttermilk feel free to use egg and milk mixture). Season each bowl with salt, pepper, and tandoori spice. In small batches take the wings out of the refrigerator and dredge in the flour, then into the butter milk and then back into the flour. Test your oil but taking a pinch of flour and dropping into the oil. If the flour starts to bubble and cook then your oil is ready for frying. If there is no change then your oil is not hot enough. Take the small batches and fry each side of the wing until golden brown. Approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Using a spider or skimmer take the wings out and place onto paper towels to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a touch of salt.
To plate, simply spoon on some of the yogurt sauce and place the wings on top. Garnish with some fresh snipped chives and let your guests enjoy!
