In addition to the mountains of barbecue that will be devoured in Kansas City and the mountains of cheesesteak that will be inhaled in Philadelphia during Super Bowl LVII, residents of those cities will also take down their fair share of the record-breaking 1.45 billion chicken wings that are projected to be consumed when the Chiefs take on the Eagles on Sunday evening.
That’s enough wings to give every man, woman and child in the United States four apiece or to give every one of the 73,000 fans who will be in attendance at Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium 19,863 wings each, according to the National Chicken Council. The NCC even included Kansas City coach Andy Reid, who is known for having an appetite, in its calculations:
Of the billions of flats and drums that will be scarfed down across America on Super Sunday, some will have come from Do Good Chicken, a U.S. brand that combats climate change by working with grocers to upcycle their surplus food into nutritious animal feed. That’s the variety of chicken Brooklyn-based celebrity chef Tom Colicchio plans to use when he’s preparing his gameday spread using his recipe for sour cherry BBQ wings.
“For this recipe, I was looking for a unique and well-balanced sauce that played off of more traditional BBQ wings,” Colicchio tells InsideHook. “The sour cherry BBQ sauce features a combination of serrano chiles, dried sour cherries, white vinegar and citrus. I also opted for an oven-cooked wing, which is easy for home cooks to recreate while preparing other foods or watching the game. No host wants to be spending the whole game in the kitchen. For an event like the big game, I prefer wings to be baked in the oven until they are cooked through and crispy. I love the texture this method yields.”
Make a Place for Tom Colicchio’s Meatballs at Your Sunday Dinner Table
How to make the celebrity chef’s famous veal ricotta meatballs at homeCooked through and then sauced before being placed back in the oven to create a sticky, caramelized bite, Colicchio’s unorthodox wings are a good example of one of the many different ways drums and slats can be prepped and coated and still be delicious. “One of the best parts of wings is how customizable and versatile they can be,” Colicchio says. “Wings can be prepared in a variety of different ways that help bring out different flavors. Once cooked, wings are the perfect crispy, juicy vehicle that can take on flavors of your favorite sauce.”
So what makes the ideal wing?
“In my opinion, the perfect wing is all about texture and flavor,” Colicchio says. “The best wings are crispy and crunchy on the outside, and warm and juicy on the inside. The quality of chicken definitely matters and helps create that perfect bite. When making a sauce for the wings, it’s all about balance. Whether you prefer spicy or mild wings, it’s important to make sure your sauce has a mix of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors.”
Sour cherry with BBQ certainly seems to fit that flavor requirement. Bon(e) appétit.
Tom Colicchio’s Sour Cherry BBQ Wings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr
Servings: 4 pounds of wings
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Do Good Chicken Party Wings
- 2 tbsp. salted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
- 1/2 cup white vinegar, add water as needed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- Salt and pepper
- Flavorless oil, such as avocado or vegetable
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings in 2 tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper.
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Transfer the wings to the baking sheets skin side up and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked through and crisp.
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the minced serrano pepper and smashed garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened and garlic is fragrant.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat combine cherries, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the cherries are plump.
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Remove the cherries from the liquid and add to the sauté pan with onions.
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Add the onion and cherries mixture to a blender along with the lime juice, and ketchup. and blend until smooth.
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Return the cherry BBQ sauce back to the pan and stir in the remaining serrano pepper. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. transfer the BBQ sauce to a bowl.
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Remove the wings from the oven when finished baking and add them to a large bowl. Toss with one-third of the cherry BBQ sauce.
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Return the tossed wings back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
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Transfer the glazed wings to a serving dish, sprinkle with lime zest, and serve with the remaining glaze on the side.
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