By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
Does anyone else find that they lose track of the items in their freezer?
I was rummaging through mine and discovered some chicken wings I had forgotten about. I decided to use my Shake and Bake recipe, as I haven’t made it in a long time. This recipe was one of my favourites when I was cooking for my growing family. It is from the “Let’s Break Bread” cookbook. The flour mixture makes 2 cups and can be kept in an air-tight container ready to use for numerous meals. I would usually use chicken quarters, but this works just as well for wings. The original recipe says to brown in oil after coating the chicken with the flour mixture, prior to baking. I usually skip this step to avoid excess oil. I place the chicken pieces directly into the oven to bake. The end result is a crispy outer coating. The wings can be enjoyed as is or covered in your favourite wing sauce.
I am sharing a sauce recipe from a friend you might want to try. I have never made it as hot spices don’t agree with me.
The other wing recipe I have made numerous times over the years and received it from a family member. Enjoy!
Fried Chicken Shake and Bake
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon celery salt (I used celery seed)
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic salt (I used powder)
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon sweet basil
½ teaspoon oregano
Chicken of choice
Combine all ingredients in a large container. Mix well.
Soak chicken pieces in a mixture of 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. Place about ¼ cup of flour mixture into a paper bag or a bowl with a tight cover.
Remove a couple of chicken pieces from milk mixture, shaking off excess liquid. Place in bag and shake bag to cover. Shake off excess flour. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
Add flour mixture to the bag as needed to cover all chicken pieces. Bake 1 hour in 350°F oven or until internal temperature is 165°F (74°C).
Source: Ethelton United Church, Melfort, Saskatchewan, “Let’s Break Bread”
Special Sauce for Wings
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce (more or less,
depending on your taste)
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (or more,
depending on your taste)
1 squirt of vinegar (about 1 teaspoon)
Melt butter, then add hot sauce and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Warm gently over stove.
While wings are hot and sauce is warm, shake together to cover well.
Chicken Wings
¼ pound of butter (1/2 cup)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon onion salt
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of tobacco sauce
2 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon oregano
20 chicken wings
Mix all ingredients, except wings, in a pot over very low heat.
Separate wings and discard tips. Dip each wing into the mixture. Place in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour. Turn the wings once so they do not stick. Enough coating for 20 wings.
