JERKED CHICKEN WINGS

If you love to grill, try this Buffalo Wings they are great

3 pounds chicken wings
1/2-cup lime or lemon juice
3/4 cup Jerk Marinade (recipe follows), divided use

Use a sharpened cleaver to chop between the wing and leg sections of the chicken wings and separate. Place in a large container, pour over lime or lemon juice, and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry and place the wings in a large non reactive container.

Pour over 1/2 cup of the Jerk Marinade and ensure that all the wings are coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove marinated wings from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling and let stand at room temperature. Discard marinade left in container from wings.

Place the chicken wings over medium-hot coals and grill for about 15 minutes on one side. Turning once. Baste with the remaining 1/4 cup of the Jerk Marinade and grill for an additional 10 minutes, or until wings are browned to your taste.

Transfer to a serving platter and serve.


JERK MARINADE

This marinade works equally well with chicken, fish or ribs.

1 teaspoon ground Jamaican pimento (allspice)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (green and white parts)
4 Scotch Bonnet peppers or 6 jalapenos, stems removed and cut in halves, retaining seeds
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon salt
Pinch of garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender of food processor. Process or blend on the liquefy setting for 2 minutes.

Pour into a jar and refrigerate until ready for use. Jerk marinade will remain good indefinitely as long as it is covered and kept refrigerated. Makes 1 cup

Chicken Wings and Health

No doubt about it, if you are going to enjoy true Buffalo-style wings in all their glory, you will be eating the skin. The skin is indeed the fatty part, comprised of 17% fat, yet it also lends the most flavors along with the sauce of choice.

If the oil is hot enough when you fry the wings, much of the fat will cook off into the frying oil while sealing in the juice of the meat, leaving a nice crispy skin.

Baking is also an alternative. Bake until crispy on a rack inside a baking pan to catch the drips, and then dip into hot sauce mixture.

If you are watching your fat intake and must avoid the skin, some markets carry skinless drummettes, both fresh and frozen. Try baking them and dredging in a hot sauce, but you'll also want to forego the traditional butter that is mixed in with the hot sauce.