Cajun Chicken Wings Would Be A Big Hit At Any Kind Of Party

The gregarious, twentysomething daughter of close friends of ours recently moved from an apartment to a small house. Ecstatic over her new living quarters, she immediately planned her first social event - a Mardi Gras party for next Tuesday.

When I called to respond to her invitation, she asked if I could help her with the menu. For the main course, she had chosen red beans and rice, accompanied by a winter greens salad and a loaf of hot French bread, and for dessert, praline cookies, fresh fruit and cafe au lait. What she needed was an inexpensive appetizer.

Although I didn’t have a recipe in my files for such a dish, I suggested Cajun chicken wings as an opener and offered to create the recipe for her. My spouse, an enthusiastic fan of New Orleans cuisine, volunteered to be a taster. After sampling several versions, we both agreed that the recipe below is our favorite.

The wings are marinated in vinegar, brown sugar and honey along with generous amounts of hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Roasted until they are a rich mahogany brown, the wings are absolutely delicious - crusty, yet tender with a blend of hot and sweet tastes.

On the day I had arranged for my young friend to taste these morsels at my house, I discovered that my husband had eaten all the leftovers! Now, I am making another batch, hiding them in the back of the refrigerator and dropping them off at the hostess’s home for her approval.

Hot and Sassy Cajun Chicken Wings

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (preferably Tabasco)

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey

2 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed and discarded, wings split at the joints into pieces (have butcher do this if you prefer)

1 bunch green onions, cleaned, roots and all but 2 inches of green stems cut off on the diagonal

Combine vinegar, hot pepper sauce, thyme, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey in large plastic bag that can be sealed easily. Add split chicken wings and toss well to coat with marinade. Refrigerate overnight, turning wings several times in marinade.

Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat cooking rack with non-stick vegetable cooking spray and place rack in baking pan.

Drain chicken, reserving and pouring marinade into heavy, medium saucepan. Arrange wings on rack. Place marinade in pan over high heat and cook until reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes or more. Brush wings generously on all sides with reduced marinade.

Bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes. Turn wings and bake 15 minutes more. Then brush wings lightly with remaining 1 tablespoon honey and bake 5 minutes more. Remove and arrange on serving plate. Garnish with clusters of green onions.

Yield: 8 to 10 appetizer servings.

Note: If you do not have a plastic bag, you can place chicken in shallow glass, ceramic or other nonaluminum pan and cover with plastic wrap.

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