We’ve come to the season where my afternoon walks take me past house after house with orange trees heavy with fruit. I’m a forager by nature and so, if the fruit-bearing branches hang over the public sidewalk, I’ll help myself to a couple as I pass by.
Every once in a while, I’ll see a tree nearly on its knees from its burden of softball-sized oranges in someone’s yard. Sometimes I’ll screw up my nerve and knock on the door to request permission to remove three or four. I’ve never had anyone tell me no; in fact, they’re usually happy to share, glad that someone can make use of their surplus. Tucsonans are generous like that.
What I do with those oranges when I get them back to my kitchen depends on my mood.
Of course, I could just juice them and drink their sunny goodness.
More commonly, however, I use them in cooking. I might baste a roasting chicken with their juice, after filling the bird’s cavity with the juiced hulls. I might bake cookies or a cake after zesting and juicing the oranges.
These orange-glazed chicken wings were a felicitous use of a recent orange haul.
I learned the steam-then-bake preparation method from Alton Brown, who happens to be one of my favorite food personalities. I met him casually once, on a sunny morning in Chicago, lounging in the little park next to Tribune Towers. He seemed surprised that I recognized him, and we had a nice 15-minute chat before we both had to leave.
Regular readers may know that I’m kind of afraid of the dangers of hot oil in the kitchen, so I’ll do anything to avoid deep-fat frying. I’ve been baking wings for years but could never quite get the crisp crust that frying gives. Alton’s method gives exactly that crust.
What you do with the wings after they’re cooked is up to you. You could toss them in the classic Buffalo sauce of melted butter and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce — I do that sometimes.
But this especially Southwestern orange glaze — with its heat from hot chiles and a little sweetness from agave syrup — was a nice change on a chilly night.
Orange-glazed chicken wings with chile
Makes about 4 appetizer servings
Steaming the wings first, then baking them gives them the crisp crust of fried wings without the hassle of hot oil. Reducing the orange juice concentrates its flavors and makes the glaze syrupy enough to coat the wings. If you want to double this for a party, feel free to do so — just be sure you have a giant bowl for tossing them.
Ingredients
12 whole chicken wings
1½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons hot chile powder
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Preparation
Separate the wings at the joints, leaving drumettes and larger pieces. Toss the wing tips into a freezer bag to add to your stock pot sometime or discard them.
Rig a steamer pot for steaming the wings. I use a stainless steel pot with a steamer insert, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use a colander set into a stockpot or steam in an electric multi-function cooker like the Instant Pot.
Put enough water into the pot to reach, but not touch, the bottom of your steamer insert. Toss a penny in the pot — if it stops clicking, your pot has boiled dry.
Add the chicken wings to the steamer. Bring the steamer to a boil, then cook the wings for 10 minutes. While the wings steam, line a baking sheet with paper towels. When the wings are finished, transfer them to the baking sheet and pat them dry. Refrigerate uncovered for an hour.
While the wings rest in the refrigerator, make the glaze.
Place the orange juice in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a lively boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orange juice has reduced by half. It will have thickened and should be syrupy.
Stir in the agave syrup, soy sauce and chile powder and cook for 10 minutes longer. If the glaze is not syrupy, continue to cook until it is. Stir it frequently to prevent burning. Set it aside to cool while you bake the wings.
When the wings have rested, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Transfer the wings to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the wings and bake for 20 minutes longer.
Place the cooled glaze into a large bowl and add the wings. Toss to coat with the glaze, then transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Scatter a little chopped cilantro over the wings and serve immediately.
