Jawaneh Meshwiyeh (BBQ Chicken Wings)

August 12, 2009 in Starters | Permalink

You might think that there isn’t much meat in chicken wings, this is why we use them for mezza: they are eaten as appetisers rather than as a main course. However, if you prefer the chicken meatier, you can use drumsticks, they work equally well, but in that instance, they must be part-baked first in order to achieve thorough cooking. You can finish them under the grill or over the barbecue. This gives them that golden crispiness which makes them so appetising.

 

 

Serves 4.

 

Ingredients

 

  • 12-14 chicken wings or drumsticks.

 

For the marinade

 

  • 1 head of garlic
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

 

Seasoning

 

  • Salt & freshly milled black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sumac (optional)

 

You also need a good size roasting tin if you prefer drumsticks

 

Method

 

  1. Rinse the chicken pieces under cold water and dry by patting them with kitchen paper.
  2. Transfer chicken pieces into a non-metallic dish and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Prepare the marinade: peel the garlic cloves, add 1 tsp salt and smash to a paste. Add lemon juice and olive oil, season with pepper, (if you like to enhance the lemony taste, sprinkle 1 tsp of sumac to the marinade) and mix thoroughly.
  4. Tip the marinade all over the chicken pieces and make sure that every piece is well coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for several hours or overnight
  5. When you are ready to cook, if using chicken wings, pre-heat the barbecue. Cook for 15-20 minutes turning the chicken wings until browned, crispy from the outside and cooked from the inside. To test it, cut through with a knife and if the meat is still pink, it requires longer cooking
  6. If using drumsticks. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/ 400°F and transfer the chicken drumsticks with their marinade into a baking dish. Cover with the lid or aluminium foil and pop into the oven, let it bake for nearly 45 minutes, turning them once. Next, remove the lid or aluminium foil and cook for further 10 minutes after which the chicken drumsticks should be browned and crispy. Alternatively finish them under the grill or on the barbecue.
  7. Serve hot with Toumeh (Garlic Sauce – see The Sauces Section), or some people prefer it with Hoummous B’Tahineh (Chickpea dip).