Crispy Piri Piri Wings

I decided fall and the arrival of football season were good enough reasons to think about wings that are decidedly man-friendly but also perfectly delectable for my girlfriends and I to munch on. I didn’t want to diverge so far from hot wings, but wanted more flavor beyond simple, vinegar-y heat. I wanted crisp without deep-frying (it’s a pain) and, because I like my couch to stay clean, wings that weren’t too-too saucy or messy.

“Piri piri” (sometimes peri peri or pili pili) is the Swahili reference for pepper, specifically the African bird’s-eye chili. Piri piri sauce and dishes originated in Mozambique and Angola, ex-Portuguese colonies. The peppers were brought to Africa by Portuguese traders and are a big part of Portuguese cuisine. Piri piri can also be found in parts of West Africa, Cape Verde, South Africa, Southern India and Brazil.

African bird’s eyes have ridiculous heat, so I took it down a few notches using fresnos and cherry peppers. These cherry peppers were actually pretty hot, so I only used one – you can use your own discretion and whatever red peppers you like for your heat tolerance here. The marinade is fantastic, infusing incredible flavor into the chicken, and with a bit more acid can be used as a sauce by itself.

Dredging the chicken and basting it in the spiced butter results in an amazing crust with juicy, flavorful, tender chicken underneath. Literally, the smell while they were cooking in the oven drove me (and my two dogs who were doing crazy circles) insane. Crunchy, spicy, garlicky, salty with a cool contrast from the dollop of crème fraiche I served alongside. Great for a party, a football game, or any night of the week…Enjoy!

Ingredients

Makes approximately 26 wings

Marinade:

2 lbs chicken wings, drummettes separated and tips reserved for another use

1 cherry pepper

2 fresno peppers

6 garlic cloves

½“ piece of ginger, peeled

1 small shallot

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ tbsps brown sugar

handful of cilantro

juice of ½ a lime

2 tbsps vegetable oil

Coating:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsps salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 tsps garlic powder

1 ½ tsps paprika

½ cup butter

Procedure

Place all of the marinade ingredients (except wings) in a food processor and process until pureed. In a baking dish or nonreactive bowl, combine wings with the marinade so that all are completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 1 day in advance.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a resealable plastic bag, add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Seal and shake to combine. Remove chicken wings from marinade, wiping off and reserving any excess marinade, and place in the plastic bag. Seal bag and shake to coat. Remove wings, shaking off any excess flour and place on a rack on a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, heat butter with a few teaspoons of remaining marinade until completely melted. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of wings with spiced butter. Bake (on the rack on a baking sheet) at 400° F for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 375° F, flip wings over, and bake another 20 minutes until golden and crispy.

Serve with a side of crème fraiche.

Exotic Fried Green Tomatoes

A friend of mine has a farm in upstate New York, and he generously dropped off a CSA-like box of his vegetables – tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, celery, and parsley (more pics on my FB page). There were a ton of tomatoes, and he suggested ripening them by placing them on a sunny windowsill. I thought I would reserve a few of the green ones to recreate classic, Southern fried green tomatoes.

So, interestingly enough, although green tomatoes are known as a Southern specialty, they do pop up in other cultures. They can be found throughout the Mediterranean; Italy, Greece, Turkey – all have their versions. I’ve seen green tomato pickles, green tomato sauces for pasta, delicious cold soups, and beautiful casserole dishes with green and red tomatoes.

For my fried green tomatoes, I like to crush up some pistachios with panko bread crumbs for the crust in place of traditional cornmeal. It gives a nutty bite and a hint of sweetness that works well with the acidity of the green tomatoes. You can stop right there after frying in the recipe if you like – they taste lovely just like that. But I took it a step further and chopped up a bunch of herbs, mixed them up with shredded mozzarella, and baked them to bubbly, cheesy perfection. You can, of course, use whatever herbs you like – any combination of chives, parsley, mint, thyme, and even oregano would be fantastic. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 to 6 servings

4 medium, firm green tomatoes

½ cup shelled pistachios

1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs

2 tsps garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

¾ cup buttermilk

Canola or olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsps chopped herbs (I used chives, parsley & mint)

1 cup low-moisture shredded mozzarella*

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Trim the ends off of the tomatoes, and cut into 1/4 “ slices. In the food processor, pulse pistachios, until they are almost a coarse meal. Add bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and salt and pulse until the mixture looks like a fine crumb. Pour breading mixture into a bowl or baking dish.

Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl. Dip tomato slices in the buttermilk and then dredge in the breading mixture. Pat the breading mixture on to create an even coat that sticks. Place on a rack on a baking sheet.

Heat a ½“ of oil with butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Fry tomatoes in batches for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Place back on the rack over the baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine chopped herbs and mozzarella. Sprinkle over fried tomato slices and bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

*I used low-moisture, shredded mozzarella in place of slices of buffalo mozzarella here in order to keep the tomatoes crispy.

Warm Ethiopian Steak Tartare

When I go out to eat, typically, my eyes are way bigger than my stomach. I have to control my (over)ordering and have this mildly obsessive habit of going through each menu item and doing a process of elimination. It’s never about what I want to eat, but rather, what I DON’T want to eat…Steak tartare almost never makes the cut. It always seems like a bland caloric waste when there are other tastier options to choose from. That is, until I tasted kitfo.

Kitfo happens to be one of Ethiopia’s most popular dishes. It’s a steak tartare that has been warmed in butter infused with a bunch of spices – amazing. It’s typically served with the country’s famous flatbread, injera, and a side of spiced collards. The first time I tried it, I was in sensory overload. The warm creaminess of the butter, the texture of the meat, the strong heat hitting me at the back of my tongue, the spice combo – it was, by far, the most delicious and unexpected steak tartare I had ever had.

For my version, I used top round from Dickson Farmstand Meats. All of their beef is dry-aged, all natural, humanely raised – basically fantastic quality. For working with a raw product like this, I wanted to make sure I was using a high quality source. They coarse ground the top round for me, and I would never advise using ground beef for a raw application. Ground beef has a higher bacterial count; you’re better off using a steak you’d feel comfortable eating rare and grinding as close to consumption as possible. I chose top round over sirloin or tenderloin because it keeps a great texture. It stays a bit toothsome and doesn’t become mushy, which I can’t stand.

This dish is extremely easy to make, and there are limited ingredients. So it’s important to develop the flavors. Mine differs from authentic kitfo with the addition of shallots and garlic and because I like to toast up the spices first in the butter. Browning the butter, making beurre noisette, adds even greater complexity. I typically serve this on a sliced baguette sprinkled with chives, but it would be equally delicious on toast or pita points. Oh, and Ethiopians eat the tartare several different ways –t’ire (raw) or leb leb (medium rare) and sometimes cooked further, so go ahead and cook to your preference. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 to 6 servings

1 stick butter

¼ tsp cardamom, ground

½ tsp black pepper, finely ground

1 ½ tsps cayenne pepper, ground

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb top round, freshly ground to your desired texture

Salt to taste

Chives, minced

Procedure

Let the beef come to room temperature. Adding it to the pot cold brings down the temperature of the butter and would necessitate reheating, which could then overcook the beef.

Heat butter on low-medium heat. When it melts add the cardamom, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook stirring for a few minutes and notice how the smell becomes nuttier. Add the shallots and garlic and cook another few minutes until softened. Butter should brown, and this is actually desired. Crank the heat a little if it hasn’t.

Let the butter cool slightly. You should be able to dip your finger in the pot without burning yourself. Add beef and stir to combine thoroughly. You don’t want to cook the meat (if serving rare), just warm through, so make sure the heat is off. Add salt to taste and serve sprinkled with chives. You won’t be disappointed.

Squash Blossom Dolmas

What is a “dolma” you might be asking? A dolma is any number of stuffed vegetables – squash, onions, peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens or even eggplants. It’s a tradition of the Ottoman Empire found throughout Greece, Turkey, the rest of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Think grape leaves, which are one of the more recognizable forms, found at the late-night gyro spot (is that just me??). The stuffing is usually rice and/or lamb with nuts, dried fruits, spices and herbs. When in a small form like a grape leaf or like these, they are pretty snackable.

I picked up some beautiful, delicate squash blossoms from the farmer’s market and was debating what to do with them. They have a bit of that elusive, squash-like flavor and are visually captivating. I’ve seen squash blossoms everywhere fried – tempura-fried, stuffed and fried, lightly batter fried. And, yes, they do taste delicious fried. That said, I wanted a bit of crunch but without the headache (and fattiness) of frying. Making a squash blossom dolma, stuffed with a subtle, flavorful rice mixture and baked to lightly-crisped perfection, was the answer.

I must say the spices are pretty light here, which adds to the delicate nature of this dish. For that reason, I like to be generous with the herbs because they lend such brightness to the dolmas. These make a lovely (and conversation-provoking I can assure you) party appetizer, served alongside a dill-yogurt-dipping sauce. They taste best warm though – once they cool, they lose a bit of their edge. Also, this stuffing is pretty universal – if no squash blossoms are on hand, you could easily stuff peppers or blanched, swiss chard leaves with this. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings as a side or an appetizer

16 Squash blossoms, stems trimmed and stamens removed

2 tbsps butter

1 shallot, minced

¼ fennel bulb, minced

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup white rice (jasmine or basmati are both fantastic)

¾ cup water or vegetable stock

1 ½ tbsps chopped, toasted pine nuts

½ tsp lemon zest

a generous handful of mint & dill, finely chopped

salt & freshly ground pepper

melted butter for greasing

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Rinse the squash blossoms gently and leave to dry fully in a colander or over paper towels while preparing the stuffing.

In a small saucepan, heat butter. When foam subsides, add shallot, fennel, coriander, cinnamon and clove. Sauté for a few minutes until shallots are translucent (will happen quickly because of how finely chopped they are). Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or so until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Add rice and let toast with the butter and vegetables, stirring frequently. Add water or vegetable stock and increase temperature. Bring up to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook covered for 20-25 minutes. When rice is cooked, fluff with a fork, add pine nuts, lemon zest, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully, stuff the squash blossoms with the rice mixture using a small spoon or even a melon baller. Don’t overfill – allow the ends of the flowers to close. Transfer to a greased baking sheet and drizzle with a little melted butter. Season with a few pinches of salt, and bake for 15 minutes. The outside should brown and be a bit crispy. Serve warm!

Crunchy Coconut Corn Fritters

The combination of corn and coconut is something that will always remind me of childhood. One of my favorite East African dishes growing up is called makai paka. It’s basically sweet corn on the cob simmered in a creamy, coconut-based broth with turmeric, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro. The fun was in eating the corncobs; you could suck out the spicy coconut curry absorbed into the cobs, making ridiculous slurping noises. Not something I can quite get away with these days…

Corn seems like a New World food, but it was brought to the African continent by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. Whether in South African mealies, West African maïs grille (basically grilled corn), or East Africa’s ugali, corn figures prominently. In Ghana, the coconut/corn combo pops back up in a dish called abrow ne kokosi, where corn kernels are simmered in coconut milk with fresh pieces of coconut flesh. Delicious.

I wanted to see the combo in a more familiar form, something easy to eat or serve as a snack to guests. These fritters come out surprisingly light, not overpoweringly coconut-ey, and have a sweet and savoury quality to them. With all of the beautiful summer corn, it’s also a great way to use up any leftovers you might have sitting around. The fritters work really well with a cilantro aioli or even a spicy ketchup dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields approximately 2 dozen fritters

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp cayenne

1 egg

½ cup coconut milk

a few dashes of hot sauce

1 ½ tbsps butter, melted

1 ¼ cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

1 cup frozen, grated unsweetened coconut, thawed

¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp green chilies, finely minced (optional)

salt

Procedure

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cayenne. In another bowl, beat together egg, coconut milk, hot sauce, and butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until it comes together. Don’t overmix. Fold in remaining ingredients.

In a large heavy saucepan, dutch oven, or deepfryer, heat about 4 inches of vegetable oil to 325° F. Carefully, drop spoonfuls of the batter and cook until golden brown, working in batches. Remove to a towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

A few things: (1) don’t overcrowd because it will bring the oil temperature too far down, and (2) be careful – it splatters when cooking.

Serve warm with a dipping sauce of your choice…

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