Chicken Wings with Jerk Marinade and Sauce

Baked, not fried, and packed with some of the spiciest peppers on the planet, these chicken wings have some serious kick. They’re an ideal weekend afternoon snack when you just want to park yourself in front of the television. If you’ve ever been to Toronto in July, chances are you’ve experienced Caribana. Since 1967, the festival has been a bright, colourful and delicious celebration of Caribbean culture. If you can’t make to the festival, you can still celebrate by making these spicy jerk chicken wings right at home. The key to jerk seasoning’s delicious burn is the scorching Scotch bonnet peppers. Dial down the heat by removing the seeds and using as many or as few peppers as you desire. Enjoy these wings on their own or skewer them for an impressive garnish for a cool and refreshing Caesar cocktail.

Jerk Marinade and Sauce:
¼ cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
6 cloves garlic
3 green onions
2-3 small Scotch Bonnets, seeds removed
1½" piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. allspice
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 lbs chicken wings

Garnish:
lime wedges

Combine oil with soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, green onions, scotch bonnets, ginger, thyme, allspice and cinnamon in a blender. Purée until smooth, then pour into a large bowl.

Add chicken wings, then toss to coat. Let marinate, in refrigerator, for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on prepared sheet. Spray rack with oil.

Transfer wings to rack. Reserve marinade.

Roast wings in centre of oven, turning once and brushing with reserved marinade, until crispy and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and let stand until cool enough to touch, about 5 minutes.

Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 6-8 servings.