Baked Harissa, Honey, Lemon Wings
Recipe and Photos by Cody Owens
One night in Chattanooga, we were leaving a friend’s wedding and decided to go to this karaoke joint called Sing It or Wing It. There was a big group of us. It was late, the place was packed, the tequila had been flowing, and the heavy hors d’oeuvres from the wedding seemed like a long-forgotten memory. During my buddy’s particularly terrible rendition of Toto’s “Africa,” that’s when I saw them.
A big table of folks in front of us started gathering their things and were clumsily making their way to the door, leaving behind what can only be described as the biggest catering tray of wings I’d ever seen—basically untouched. Morale amongst our group was low, fading rapidly with each passing verse. So, I made my move, pushing my way through the crowd. As I recall, a spotlight from the stage beamed down on the wings like a light from Heaven as I approached.
I can still hear the crowd chanting my name when I returned with hundreds of free hot wings to feed my people. Tears of joy ran down my friends’ faces, and I was hoisted in the air like a champion. “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston played in the background. It was the best night of my life. The moral of this story is that everyone loves wings, and this recipe is really good and really easy.
The Sauce
- 1 cup harissa paste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 big tablespoons honey
(This makes enough for about two dozen wings)
Combine all the ingredients and set aside while the wings cook (harissa can usually be found by the BBQ sauce at most grocery stores). The flavor is complex, slightly smoky, spicy, and fruity. Think of these as a leveled up version of spicy lemon pepper wings.
The Wings
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (crucial for getting crispy baked wings)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarchDry rub mix (I use paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Once you’ve coated the wings in all the above ingredients, place on a baking sheet and cook them for roughly 20 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 10 to15 minutes. This can vary depending on your oven. Toss them in the sauce and serve them up at your next karaoke party.