Bring '4th' the wings

Our inalienable culinary rights on the Fourth of July? Life, liberty and the pursuit of good eats.

Our national day of outdoor feasting doesn't need to be just another weenie 'n' burger roast. How about supplementing the feed with a mountain of irresistible wings? Sticky, mischievously messy nibbles, beautifully glazed and noisily crisp.

Chicken wings are luscious as well as inexpensive. And they are easy to prepare, especially if you use Hugh Carpenter's oven technique.

Carpenter, one of the most popular cooking teachers in America, is the author of "The Great Wings Book" (Ten Speed Press, $16.95). He says wing meat has more flavor than other poultry cuts. "They are neither white meat nor dark meat," Carpenter said. "The wing bones distribute the heat and contribute a wonderful sweetness to the meat, while the skin gradually becomes crisp and protects the meat from ever becoming dry.

"As opposed to ribs, you can cook them for about a year, and they are still delicious," he joked. "They reheat beautifully. They are messy, but you get something that is absolutely delectable. So much flavor impact for not much money."

He says wing popularity is a relatively new phenomenon. Most chicken wings used to be sent to Asia to go into pet food. That was before home cook Teresa Bellissimo (in Buffalo, N.Y.) started a trend with the spur-of-the-moment wings created for her ravenous son and his teenage friends.

According to the Buffalo Wing story, in 1964 Bellissimo had nothing on hand except a package of chicken wings. So she fried them up and invented a dipping sauce with melted butter, cayenne pepper, white vinegar, garlic and salt. The boys hit the street bragging about the wings and before long, the fad spread from coast to coast.

But as delectable as fried wings are, come July Fourth, no one wants to be inside standing by a pan of hot oil. Carpenter agrees, and says his oven-roasted chicken wings are the best, adding that they can be served warm or at room temperature, or cooled and refrigerated, then reheated in the oven. Plus the marinade can be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated.

"Grilled wings are great, but you have to keep turning them because they can burn easily," he said, adding that his book also contains formulas for grilling, smoking, deep-frying and braising. "You can't find anything easier than oven roasting. Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and use a wire rack on top, the nonstick baking rack with the little legs is best. I marinate (the wings) five minutes or up to a day in the refrigerator, depending on how well my brain is operating. Four to six hours is best, but even 15 minutes of marinating is fine."

The wings are placed atop the rack, pretty-side down (the smooth, rounded side). After they roast for 30 minutes, any moisture that has accumulated on the bottom of the baking pan is removed and they are turned "hero-side up," basted and roasted for another 30 minutes.

"It creates a candy coating (on the wings) and the house smells fantastic; there is nothing to supervise, no work to do," he said. "And I don't cut the wings in half before cooking because if you do, you have twice as many pieces to turn."

So the last step is to cut the wings in half through the joint, pop them on a platter and pass napkins.

BEST EVER AMERICAN WINGS

Yield: 12 servings

24 chicken wings

4 cups red wine

3 cups ketchup

1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried paprika

1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

3 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil, such as canola oil or vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

Nonstick cooking spray

Procedure

Cut off the wing tips and save them for making stock. In a large bowl, combine wine, ketchup, Heinz 57, brown sugar, chili powder, molasses, oregano, thyme, paprika and hot sauce.

In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until starting to brown. Add wine mixture. Bring to a low boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In nonreactive bowl (such as ceramic or glass) large enough to hold the wings, combine wings and cooled red wine sauce. Mix thoroughly. Cover and marinate in refrigerator one to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coat a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place the rack in the baking pan. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. Arrange wings on rack (smooth surface down) and roast for 30 minutes. Drain the accumulated liquid from the pan. Baste wings with reserved marinade, turn them over and baste again; discard leftover marinade. Roast until wings turn a mahogany color, about another 30 minutes. Cut wings in half through the joint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: "The Great Wings Book" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Ten Speed Press, $16.95)

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY WINGS

Yield: 12 servings

24 chicken wings

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup jelly (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry)

1 cup wine vinegar

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons your favorite hot sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

Procedure

Cut off the wing tips and save them for making stock. In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, combine all remaining ingredients. Add wings; mix thoroughly. Marinate wings in the refrigerator, covered, for one to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coat a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place rack in the baking pan. Drain chicken and reserve marinade. Arrange wings on rack (smooth surface down) and roast 30 minutes. Drain the accumulated liquid from the pan. Baste wings with reserved marinade, turn them over and baste again. Discard leftover marinade. Roast until wings turn mahogany color, about another 30 minutes. Cut wings in half through the joint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: "The Great Wings Book" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Ten Speed Press, $16.95)

ROASTED SZECHUAN WINGS

Yield: 12 servings

24 chicken wings

1 cup hoisin sauce

3/4 cup plum sauce

1/2 cup thin soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated or minced lime zest (colored portion of peel)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro sprigs

6 cloves garlic, minced

Procedure

Cut off the wing tips and save them for making stock. In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, combine all remaining ingredients. Add wings; mix thoroughly. Marinate wings in the refrigerator, covered, for one to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coat a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place rack in the baking pan. Drain chicken and reserve marinade. Arrange wings on rack (smooth surface down) and roast 30 minutes. Drain the accumulated liquid from the pan. Baste wings with reserved marinade, turn them over and baste again. Discard leftover marinade. Roast until wings turn mahogany color, about another 30 minutes. Cut wings in half through the joint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: "The Great Wings Book" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Ten Speed Press, $16.95)

MEXICAN WINGS WITH JALAPEÑO GLAZE

Yield: 12 servings

24 chicken wings

1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cup jalapeño jam or jelly

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

2 jalapeño chilies, minced, including the seeds, see cook's notes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro sprigs

Cook's notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies. Wash hands and work surface thoroughly upon completion. Do not touch your face or eyes.

Procedure

Cut off the wing tips and save them for making stock. In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, combine all remaining ingredients. Add wings; mix thoroughly. Marinate wings in the refrigerator, covered, for one to 24 hours (the longer, the better).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coat a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place rack in the baking pan. Drain chicken and reserve marinade. Arrange wings on rack (smooth surface down) and roast 30 minutes. Drain the accumulated liquid from the pan. Baste wings with reserved marinade, turn them over and baste again. Discard leftover marinade. Roast until wings turn mahogany color, about another 30 minutes. Cut wings in half through the joint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: "The Great Wings Book" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Ten Speed Press, $16.95)