Meliz Berg’s spicy chicken wings
Get your barbecue fired up for Meliz’s Turkish-Cypriot style spicy chicken wings! She’ll be showing us her simple yoghurt-based marinade which she uses on all cuts of chicken, for tender meat on the barbecue or in the oven. She will be pairing the sweetly spiced wings with buttery Vermicelli rice.
Turkish style chicken wings and things with vermicelli rice
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the marinade:
2 tbsp thick set natural yoghurt
2 tbsp Turkish sweet red pepper paste (tatli biber salçası)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pul biber
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp coarse black pepper
1kg chicken wings, thighs or drumsticks
For the glaze:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp clear honey
For the Vermicelli Rice:
250g easy-cook long-grain white rice
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
½ tsp salt
625 ml boiling water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp crushed vermicelli
20g unsalted butter
Method
To make the chicken:
1. For the marinade, mix everything together in a large dish.
2. Add the chicken and coat thoroughly in the marinade, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
3. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
4. Preheat the oven to 200℃/ 180 fan℃/ gas mark 6.
5. Line a baking sheet with foil, then lay a grill rack on top. Evenly space the chicken on the grill rack, spooning any remaining marinade over it.
6. Cook wings for approximately 35-40 minutes and drumsticks and thighs for 45-50 minutes, turning the heat to 220℃/ 200℃/ gas mark 7 for the last 5-10 minutes if the skin needs crisping up a little. The juices will run clear once cooked.
7. To make the glaze, mix the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and honey in a small bowl.
8. Remove and brush over the glaze then serve immediately.
To make the vermicelli rice:
1. Pour the rice into a sieve, wash well with cold water until the water runs clear, and leave to frain over a large bowl.
2. Dissolve the stock cube and salt in the boiling water and leave to one side.
3. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. Add the vermicelli to the pan and stir continuously until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the vermicelli to cool down for a minute or two.
4. Add the rice to the pan along with the butter and stir well.
5. Pour the stock into the pan, stir well then return the pan to the hob over a medium-low heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow the rice to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the stock has been almost fully absorbed by the rice (bubble holes will start to appear in the rice when it’s almost ready).
6. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a couple of sheets of kitchen paper and the pan lid, and let the rice sit in the pan for a few minutes. Full up with a fork and serve alongside the chicken.