no. 151: grilled Calabrian chile-honey chicken wings

With charred scallion ranch!!!!

I got a haircut and a lash lift this week so I am basically unrecognizable to everyone around me. I will preface that this is a huge brag, but I am very proud to share that I am now officially 2 years clean from coloring my hair (thank you).

It’s pretty revolutionary to enter a hair salon and only sit in that chair for an hour or so, and then be done. No need to sit under that lamp with a head full of foil for me anymore! I am a NATURAL beauty with lashes so lifted they are basically inches from God, himself.

Are you seeing this haircut? These lashes? And these wings (more on those below….)?

Before we get into this week’s recipe, I have to highlight my new favorite beverage find.

San Pellegrino Blood Orange Sparkling Water

I catered my friends’ birthday barbecue last weekend, and he had some of these sitting on ice for the party. I was in desperate need of something fizzy and sweet, and this thing really HIT THE SPOT. And not just because I was exhausted from running around his backyard and sweating by the grill.

They’re sweeter than a Spindrift, and they taste more like a true soda, but there’s no sugar!! I didn’t look at their ingredient list, though, because that’s actually none of my business. Ciao!

Grilled Calabrian Chile-Honey Chicken Wings with Charred Scallion Ranch

Serves: 6-8

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

I’ve tried to do a variety of chicken parts for my series, “Grilled Chicken Recipes That Don’t Suck,” and it finally came time to shed some light on a grilled chicken wing.

Listen, I’m not going to tell you that a grilled chicken wing is better than a fried one, because that would be a lie, but they are much easier, and when you’re looking for a smokier flavor and a crunchy, caramelized exterior, the grill is the way to go.

I worked as a server at a sports bar when I was in college, and one of the menu items was called the “bee sting” wings, which you were able to get “charred,” meaning they cooked for a few extra minutes. The caramelized, almost burnt honey along with the heat of the wing sauce was so perfect to me. I ended many a shift with a dozen of these.

The reason I have you grill them first, then toss in the sauce, then put the wings back on the grill is because honey can bun pretty quickly, so I want you to get some nice color on the wings before you introduce the sauce.

Every jarred Calabrian chile is different. I use the Divina chiles which have a pretty concentrated heat, so start with a little, and you can always add more if you want to crank it up a bit.