Peanut Butter And Jelly Wings With Cherrywood Smoke: A Twisted Bit Of Comfort

Remember back to your toddler days, when you would proudly sit up in your high chair, point to a completely random spot among the kitchen cabinets, pantry, ceiling or wall and exclaim “mmm”, which obviously translated to “Make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”. And after you got your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut up in bite sized pieces with no crust of course, you then, once again, pointed to a completely random spot among the kitchen cabinets, pantry, ceiling or wall and exclaimed “mmm”,  now meaning, “I could sure go for a chicken wing right now”.

But that second request was never filled, was it?

No, it wasn’t, because through no fault of your own, you barely had enough choppers to get that crustless peanut butter and jelly sammie down. But now that you’re older, and have a few more teeth at your disposal, you can satisfy that double craving that you were so unfairly deprived of back then by grilling up a batch of delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings, kissed by the smoke of cherry wood. But we have to make sure they were worth waiting for, right?

Gather about 6 whole chicken wings, or about 12 pieces if already separated. Give them a good rinse, then pat dry and rub with a good quality rub, whether premade or thrown together on the spot, and then put in a Ziploc and into the fridge for at least an hour.

For this batch of wings I combined 1 tsp each of sea salt, seasoned pepper, chili powder, roasted garlic, and dill. I then added 1 Tbsp each of paprika and all-purpose flour, and mixed it all up with about 3 tbsp oil. It makes more of a paste than a liquid, so it has to really be worked into the wings like a relaxing deep muscle massage, but on a naked chicken.

Meanwhile, the Weber was set up for indirect heat, about 400 degrees, with lump charcoal on one side. Lay the wings on the indirect side and close the lid. Give them a look-see at about the 20 minute mark, and flip them over. They’ll be getting nicely browned and all crispy looking.

Now for the stars of this show, the two sauces, with the jelly glaze up first. We’ve tried strawberry and raspberry, and both are good. Use your favorite jelly, but make sure it’s seedless, or you’ll be doing that reverse lip and tooth sucking noise all evening, causing a quick and prompt banishment from the house as well as for any future wing tastings.

Mix together 6 Tbsp of jelly, 2 Tbsp of Sriracha, and 1 Tbsp of melted butter, the real stuff, warmed just a bit so it forms a thick glaze.

Brush the glaze on to both sides of the wings, and allow the Sriracha jelly mixture to caramelize and get all sticky. Yeah…

When the jelly is good and caramelized, take them off the grill, line ’em up on a plate or tray, and prepare the peanut butter side of these sticky wings. Start with 1/4 cup each of creamy peanut butter and coconut milk, adding 1 Tbsp each of low sodium soy sauce, honey, and fresh lime juice.

Whisk the concoction until it gets smooth, creamy and consistent. Use as much of the peanut butter sauce as you like. It’s the stronger flavor component, so less is more in this particular case, but you can increase the peanut butter factor by increasing the amount of sauce. No judging here. Use a baggie with the corner snipped off, a squeeze bottle, or even a brush to spread or drizzle it on the Sriracha jelly glazed wings. A few scallions were chopped and tossed over the finished wings for presentation as well as an extra layer of flavor.

Then be prepared for a delicious bite of warm, peanut buttery, seasoned chicken that finishes with a sweet, sticky, jelly glazed, crispy chicken skin, leaving just enough heat in your throat that reminds you that this is not the peanut butter and jelly experiences from your childhood, but something delicious that’s built on those early, fond, comforting memories.

“mmm”

Because Life Is Better Wood Fired