Buttermilk chicken wings, corn salsa and sweet potato hasselbacks
Twice-fried chicken wings soused in hot sauce are the star in Matt Tebbutt’s impressive Tex-Mex inspired spread.
Ingredients
For the chicken wings
- 6 tbsp buttermilk
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 12 chicken wings with drumsticks
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cornflour
- vegetable oil, for frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hot sauce
- 120²µ/4¼´Ç³ú butter
- 1–2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 150g/5½oz hot sauce
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
For the blue cheese dip
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú blue cheese
- 50ml/2fl oz buttermilk
- 50ml/2fl oz soured cream
For the corn salsa
- 2 corn on the cob, chargrilled
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 2 dried ancho peppers, rehydrated and chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped jalapeño peppers
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 lime, juice only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hasselback sweet potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter, softened
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp soured cream
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- salt
Method
To make the chicken wings, add the buttermilk, garlic, salt and pepper and chicken wings to a large bowl and mix. Cover and leave the meat to marinate for a few hours.
Meanwhile, make the hot sauce. Add all the ingredients to a pan and bring to the boil, whisking all the time. Remove from the heat and cool, whisking occasionally to emulsify.
To make the blue cheese dip, add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until combined. Set aside.
To make the corn salsa, slice the carred corn from the cob and mix with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, then set aside.
To make the hasselback sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes three-quarters of the way through at regular intervals along the whole length, keeping them attached at the bottom. Place onto a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, then rub the butter and garlic into them.
Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes, basting regularly, until cooked through. Remove and spoon over the soured cream and smoked paprika.
To cook the chicken wings, heat a deep-fat fryer to 150C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Mix together the plain flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Remove the wings from the marinade then toss in the flour mixture.
Fry the chicken wings for 2–3 minutes, then remove and drain on kitchen paper. Increase the heat to 180C and re-fry the wings until golden and cooked through. This will take about 6–8 minutes.
Heat up the hot sauce, then toss the cooked wings through the sauce. Serve with the blue cheese dip, corn salsa and hasselback sweet potatoes alongside.
