Spicy Vindaloo Wings with Sauvignon Blanc
Recipe by Erin Jimcosky
Photography by Phil Jimcosky of Food Aperture
India and Portugal aren’t necessarily two cuisines I think about being on the same page. One uses things like linguica and bacalhau, the other uses ajowan and amchoor, and they never seem to meet. Thankfully, somewhere along the line the tastes of Portugese spice traders and denizens of Goa came together to create vindaloo. For those of you not in the know, vindaloo is a glorious addictive tart and spicy dish that is often made with lamb, goat, or chicken. While these wings are decidedly non-traditional, they are a delicious riff on an old favorite.
Leaf & Vine Sauvignon Blanc works spectacularly well with vindaloo, especially in the form of these Spicy Vindaloo Wings. The Sauvignon Blanc cools the heat while balancing the spices with fresh flavors of melon, pear and lemon. Give it a try, but be warned they are not for the faint of heart.
Spicy Vindaloo Wings
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
24 chicken wings
1 recipe Vindaloo Sauce
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot to 360F to 375F. Dredge the chicken wings through the flour and fry a few at a time until they are golden brown. Drain the wings on a towel and keep warm until serving. When all of the wings are cooked, add them to a large bowl with the sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately with a side of cucumbers and thick full fat yogurt.
Vindaloo Sauce
2 Tbsp. cumin seed
1 Tbsp. coriander seed
2 tsp. garam masala
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. sea salt + a little for the onions
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, grated
1 c. malt vinegar
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3” fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Warm the butter in a pan and add the onions and a sprinkle of salt, cooking until caramelized. Combine the cumin, coriander, garam masala, and mustard seeds together in a skillet and toast until fragrant, then remove from the heat and allow the spices to cool. Grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Combine the toasted spices with the salt, turmeric and cayenne in a bowl, stirring to incorporate. Set aside.
When the onions are cooked throughout, stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and ginger then allow it to cook for a minute. Turn down the heat and add the spice mixture, stock, and vinegar to the onions, and reduce by 1/3. Be warned, there will be a powerful smell from the vinegar, it may burn your nostrils a bit, so don’t stand over the steam. Remove the mixture from the heat and pulse in the best blender for the money with the spices until smooth (be very careful of the splattering sauce, this kind of burn can very painful). Return the mixture to a pan and keep warm until it is time to toss the wings.
Set aside while you prepare the chicken wings.
Erin Jimcosky is a freelance food and travel writer, pens the Hungry Mutineer column in Mutineer Magazine, and is the Editor in Chief for CRAFT magazine, which debuts in June of 2014. When she isn’t in the kitchen, she can be found irritating young winemakers and working in her kitchen garden.
Follow her on Twitter @hungrymutineer.
Phil Jimcosky has done everything from food and product photography for Mutineer Magazine, Anchor Distilling, St. Suprey, and Greater Purpose Wine to location shoots in Spain, but his real love is in photojournalism. When he isn’t in his home studio he can be found chasing down the perfect image on the streets of Washington DC.
Check him out at: http://foodaperture.com/about/
Follow him of Twitter @foodaperture