Hi there,

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the New York Times Food Festival in NYC. It was foodie heaven. There were loads of cooking demonstrations. Also, some very interesting talks about the future of the food industry. There was a cookbook corner where you could purchase a cookbook from your favorite NYT author and have an opportunity to chat and get an autograph. I purchased Melissa Clark’s new cookbook, Dinner in One. In another section of the pavilion were booths called “worth the wait”. This section was designated for the newest restaurants where it is virtually impossible to get a reservation. One of the food items that we tried was from Michael Solmonov’s Laser Wolf. It is a recipe for Pomegranate Harrisa Chicken Wings, and I snared the recipe and have it to share with you. Oh my, are they delicious.

Ingredients:

• 15 ounces kosher salt
• 7 ½ ounces sugar
• 1 gallon water
• 5 pounds chicken wings

For the Rub:

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Pomegranate-Harissa Glaze:

• 1 ½ cups pomegranate molasses
• ¾ cup harissa
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons water

For the Tehina Ranch Dip:

• 2 cups Quick Tehina Sauce (double the recipe)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 shallot, grated
• 1 bunch dill, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Preparation:

Add water in a large bowl until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Submerge the chicken wings in the brine for 45 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F.   

For the rub, mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wings and toss to coat, then arrange the wings on a sheet pan (use a rack, if you have one). Bake for 50 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Process all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth, then set aside and make the dip. Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, then set aside. 

Preheat a grill to medium-low heat.  

Toss the baked wings in the glaze until evenly coated, then grill them for 6 minutes per side. Serve the wings with the dip. 

Since it will probably be months before I can snag a reservation at Laser Wolf, I am definitely going to be making plenty of these sticky, delicious morsels of chicken.

And, I promise to review Melissa’s cookbook and share a recipe from it soon.