Baked chicken wings and a spiced, sweet and sour sauce

Most of my life I could not understand the sweet sauce concept. You know the kind where candied cloy meets ubiquitous smoke and completely masks the identity of the food you're eating (ugh).

Steak marinade, the "popular" item on a local Chinese menu, honey ham and the like- yes, it could all render a very horrendous experience, if the sweet balance is not taken seriously. Which is why my mind would scream "standing ovation" each time I'd bite into a meal dressed to seasoned/honey perfection. I also believe that  suitable combinations of sugar, salt, tang and spice can almost never be bought in bottles.

Which is why I surprised even myself, when more than a few years ago, I mixed up my own dulcet peppered merger to pour over grilling ribs. As I put together the components for my sweet and sour sauce, a fair share came from the doors of my refrigerator. As brown sugar and honey steadied out the tartness of tomato based ketchup, all the others helped to bring out fantastic sauce symmetry, beating out many a bottled goop of brown shellac.

Whipping it up is easy- a gentle reduction forges the many into one bringing about a gentle nuanced but bright tasting body. And beyond excellence becomes its destiny when slathered onto crunchy, crisp chicken wings, so right for this family suffering from MWF (Major Wing Fixation).

The issue of baking the wings and drumettes ahead, takes on a tenfold advantage. For one, you are cutting out way more fat than you need. Second, it is obsessively quicker than hours on end in front of a flaming burner. Third, you will appreciate the bite on these ones, which would be of a more substantial quality, unlike those overburdened with excessive oil.

Don't let the wee wingy sizes play trickster on you. Their caramelized crisp edges are dangerously addictive. Hold on to more than a few because they are seriously crunch, crunch, gone before you'll be able to dig for more. Double batch, maybe? Now, is your stomach grumbling too?

Baked sweet sour wings:

• 1 c all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 whole chicken wings, disjointed and split to make 24 pieces
• 1 c ketchup
• ¼ c brown sugar
• ¼ c tsp honey 
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp Sriracha (chili garlic sauce)
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• Line 2 large baking trays with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.
• Place first four ingredients (flour-salt) in sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to mix well. Open to add wings, a few at a time. Seal once again and toss to coat each batch. Lay coated wings onto prepared trays. Spray the tops with a final coat of cooking spray.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until done, turning wings over when halfway done.
• Whisk together ingredients from the ketchup to salt in a medium saucepan. Let simmer over medium heat. 
• Turn off once blended.
• Toss hot wings in sauce until all pieces are coated.
• Serve warm.

Notes:

The sauce is highly versatile. I 've used it for marinades while grilling steaks, baking pork chops, or as dipping sauce for chicken. It can also be a template for your own sweet/sour combination. Tailor it to suit your tastes, although it's quite fantastic as is. 

No, I'm not pretending that I've been absent too long a while. I figured it was blah boring to offer excuses at an update's beginning which is why I waited until this very end. You see, we moved, shifted residence, which means my whole kitchen did too. So, after finding new space for my pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and, of course, the whole of my Indian pantry, this is the first recipe I felt worthy of a post (especially after the many nights of pizza and frozen meal sustenance).

Though, I thank you for staying with me through all my errant and"unscheduled"updates, I am sorry for this particularly long overdue. I can never express enough my appreciation to you, loyal friends, inspiring commenters, followers, simply each and every acquaintance and visitor that have thumbed these pages, taking in my food experiences and reading the journalling that ensues. You are a patient lot and a lovely audience for sure. Thanks for reading.

An additional batch of 24 was dunked in a hot sauce and butter blend(regular buffalo sauce). Requirements?1 stick of butter and a cup and half of Franks medium hot sauce, combined over heat. Slather away!

After a major move over a year ago from our Midwest home, this past year saw us in temporary" smallish conditions (the kitchen being one of the tiniest I've had yet) in our new Southwest habitat. In those long transitional months God grew us up and deepened our faith in phases. We saw prayers answered, mountains moved, miracles abound- the Lord working mightily in our lives. God is good, all the time!

Now, having shifted to our current space, I'm blessed with an expanse of kitchen, excited and filled with ideas and plans to bring you quite a few blessings from my new kitchen. 

God's perspective is an all encompassing one and it is always bigger than ours. No matter where you are, throw your doubts to the side, trust and believe He can do great things for you, through you, and hold firm to those promises. "For the one who calls you is faithful, and he will make it happen." 

 ..."God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that." 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (MSG)

 ~ "All the while you hear each spoken word, yet love us too much to give us lesser things"~Blessings, by Laura Story

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