Sticky Barbecue Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken wings, split at the joint
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic granules
• 150 g barbecue sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 4 tsp cider vinegar
• 4 tsp hot sauce
• 4 spring onions, sliced

Method

1. Dry them thoroughly

   Pat the wings as dry as you can and leave them uncovered in the fridge for an hour if you have time. Skin only crisps once its surface water has gone.

   1 h

2. The baking powder trick

   Toss with the baking powder, paprika, garlic granules and salt. Baking powder raises the skin's pH so it browns faster and blisters — it is what gets oven wings close to fried. Do not use bicarbonate of soda, which tastes soapy.

3. Bake on a rack

   Spread on a rack over a tray and bake at 200°C for 40 minutes, turning once, until deep gold and crisp. The rack lets the rendering fat drip away instead of frying one side soft.

   40 min

4. Warm the glaze

   Simmer the barbecue sauce, honey, vinegar and hot sauce for a couple of minutes until slightly thickened.

   2 min

5. Glaze late

   Toss the hot wings in the glaze and return them to the oven for 5 minutes only. Glazed from the start, the sugar burns black long before the wings are cooked.

   5 min

6. Serve

   Scatter with spring onions and serve straight away, while the skin still has snap.