GAME DAY OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN WINGS

Game day!!! Ready for the play-offs? Before I moved to the US in the year 2000, football and baseball were not on my radar. When it came to sports, I always enjoyed exercising myself over watching sports, but I did enjoy occasional events life or on TV occasionally. I had been to soccer games in my local hometown of Freiburg and always loved the spirit of the local SC Freiburg team and fanbase, cheered for the Tour de France from the roadside, attended basketball and tennis games, and of course followed the Olympics and other events on TV.
The transition into the US inevitably exposed us to the world of football and baseball. I must admit that even after 22 years in the US, I really have a hard time with baseball. The only thing I enjoy about this sport is playing it occasionally on the beach with those cheap plastic bats and very light plastic balls, but watching a whole game, which I did for the Phillies years ago seemed like wasted time to me. With football it was different - this sport can get really intense to watch. It took me a while to really understand the rules, but eventually I came to be really fond of it. So over the years, we got more and more into the football season. We do have our favorite teams my son and I still root for the New Orleans Saints and my husband turned into a hardcore Eagles fan to an extent that his moods are affected by the teams performance. Although I miss the times when we were hitting the empty ski slopes during Super Bowl, I really enjoy this event now, watching with family and friends while enjoying Super Bowl foods that are inseparable from the occasion!

That being said, game day and wings are a must in this family. For us, that means plain (naked) wings without any breading or sugary sauces. If this sounds boring to you, just wait until you tried these perfectly crisp oven-baked wings with our homemade garlic hot sauce. Not only are they super delicious, but with free range chicken and without food additives and sugar-loaded sauces they are as a matter of fact, super healthy too! When it comes to the hot sauces, I personally can live without them and I think it’s not really necessary to check the ingredients for added sugar because you end up beyond pain anyway. For those of you that can actually distinguish between spice pain and carb pain, I picked a hot sauce that is refined sugar-free and supposedly easier on your intestines. For those of you who aren’t football fans, these wings can be a perfect appetizer, snack, or dinner any day of the year. For the football fans, I wish all the best for your team - mine was already kicked out, but I can still go for the food, right?

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs chicken wings (preferably free range chicken)
olive oil spray or melted butter
sea salt
freshly grated pepper

for the sauce:
8 tbsp butter
1 tsp or more of your favorite hot sauce
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly grated pepper

tools: cooking oil sprayer

INSTRUCTIONS
for the wings:
Preheat the oven at 400°F / 200°C.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the wings to the baking sheet. Distribute the wings evenly with the skin side facing down at first. Using a paper towel, thoroughly pat the wings dry. Spray the wings with vegetable cooking oil or brush them with melted butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheet in the upper level of the oven. Bake at 400°F / 200°C for 20 minutes, then flip the wings over and continue baking until the skin is really crisp, about 15 more minutes.

Brush the wings with the sauce and bake for 5 more minutes.

Remove the wings from the oven and add to a glass bowl. Pour the rest of the sauce over the wings and toss to combine. Serve hot together with vegetable sticks and ranch sauce.

for the sauce:
In a small saucepan, melt one tbsp of butter, add the garlic and sauté for two minutes. Add the hot sauce, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir and sauté for two more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remainder of the butter and let it melt. Stir to combine.

PRINT