Turkish sumac and oregano chicken wings

I am obsessed with chicken wings, and here is another lovely recipe. Chicken wings make for the perfect finger food, they set the tone for a casual night, and are crisp and delicious.

Sumac is a wild berry found in the high altitudes of the Mediterranean. They are vibrant red berries that are ground to a coarse powder. The first use of sumac has been recorded as far back as 2000 years ago. The spice is noted for its nutritional value as a diuretic or as a treatment for stomach ailments. The powder has a lovely tart flavour and was used by the Romans to flavour food before lemons were introduced. In this recipe, the wings shine because of the tartness from the sumac.

These wings are no exception. The mild spices flavour the wings beautifully and the tartness from the sumac shines. The marination flavours the meat all the way to the bone, and the flavours are gentle and balanced between mild spice, tartness and herb.

This is an amazing cookbook by a British chef who specialized in cuisines from the Middle East and across Turkey. This book is filled with recipes for kebabs, stews, other Turkish favourites, and some more contemporary dishes. Everything I have cooked from this book has been fantastic, this is one of my favourite Turkish cookbooks.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken wings, skin on, cut at the first joint

2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or pul biber

2 teaspoons sumac flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground oregano

2 tablespoons yoghurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt, to taste

Mix all the ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. I like to marinate these wings in the morning for dinner.

Grill for 4-5 minutes per side till they are cooked through.

Alternatively, preheat an oven to 375° F. Layer the wings in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes till the wings are cooked through and charred in spots.

Serve immediately.