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Dragon Chicken

by . Featured in KITCHEN
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Introduction

Every time I write a recipe for chicken wings it gets a little hotter, and this one — as its name suggests — positively breathes fire. If you want to reduce the heat, simply use fewer chillies, but I can promise you, while this certainly has zing and fiery flavour, that you don't need to be someone who always orders the hottest curry in the house at Indian restaurants to be able to eat it.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Every time I write a recipe for chicken wings it gets a little hotter, and this one — as its name suggests — positively breathes fire. If you want to reduce the heat, simply use fewer chillies, but I can promise you, while this certainly has zing and fiery flavour, that you don't need to be someone who always orders the hottest curry in the house at Indian restaurants to be able to eat it.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Image of Nigella's Dragon Chicken
Photo by Lis Parsons

Ingredients

Makes: 20 chicken wings

Metric Cups
  • 5 long red chillies (de-seeded and halved)
  • 1 red pepper (de-seeded and core removed)
  • 2 x 8 centimetres pieces fresh ginger (approx. 90g/3oz total), peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 x 15ml tablespoons Maldon sea salt flakes or 1 tablespoon pouring salt
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 80 millilitres garlic oil
  • 80 millilitres vegetable oil
  • 20 chicken wings (whole)
  • approx. 3 x 15ml tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (for serving)
  • 5 long red chiles (de-seeded and halved)
  • 1 red bell pepper (de-seeded and core removed)
  • 2 x 3 inches pieces fresh gingerroot (approx. 90g/3oz total), peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 1 tablespoon pouring salt
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup garlic oil
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 20 chicken wings (whole)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (for serving)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Process the chillies, red pepper, ginger, salt, vinegar and the 2 oils in a food processor and whiz until smooth.
  2. You can at this point leave your chicken wings to marinate in a freezer bag coated in the chilli sauce for up to 24 hours if you want — or for 2 days if you omit the salt and add this later. Otherwise tip out the sauce over the chicken wings onto a shallow-sided foil-lined roasting tray or lipped baking sheet — don’t use a high-sided tin, or the wings will braise rather than roast.
  3. Make sure all the wings are coated in the chilli-flecked sauce, and then roast for 40 minutes.
  4. Transfer the wings to a serving platter and sprinkle with some fresh coriander.
  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Process the chillies, red bell pepper, ginger, salt, vinegar and the 2 oils in a food processor and whiz until smooth.
  2. You can at this point leave your chicken wings to marinate in a freezer bag coated in the chilli sauce for up to 24 hours if you want — or for 2 days if you omit the salt and add this later. Otherwise tip out the sauce over the chicken wings onto a shallow-sided foil-lined roasting tray or lipped baking sheet — don’t use a high-sided tin, or the wings will braise rather than roast.
  3. Make sure all the wings are coated in the chilli-flecked sauce, and then roast for 40 minutes.
  4. Transfer the wings to a serving platter and sprinkle with some cilantro.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD:
Marinate wings in a bag in fridge for up to 1 day — put bag in bowl or on plate in case of leakage. (You can marinate 2 days ahead if you omit the salt from the marinade, and sprinkle with salt before roasting.) Cook as directed in recipe.

FREEZE:
The wings can be frozen in the bag of marinade, omitting the salt, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge — put bag in bowl or on plate in case of leakage. Sprinkle with salt before roasting. Cook as directed in recipe.

MAKE AHEAD:
Marinate wings in a bag in fridge for up to 1 day — put bag in bowl or on plate in case of leakage. (You can marinate 2 days ahead if you omit the salt from the marinade, and sprinkle with salt before roasting.) Cook as directed in recipe.

FREEZE:
The wings can be frozen in the bag of marinade, omitting the salt, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge — put bag in bowl or on plate in case of leakage. Sprinkle with salt before roasting. Cook as directed in recipe.

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