Bloody Mary Chicken Wings |Cooking With Amanda

When January rolls around, so many people are focused on finding recipes to back up their resolutions; this usually means lighter fare. Words like healthy, skinny, and lightened-up take over the search bar. I totally get that. The holidays kick my butt, too. For me though, January triggers something entirely different—a craving for chicken wings!

I think wings are a natural accompaniment to January. Or maybe I should say they're a natural accompaniment to football and the art of gathering around the television eating things with your fingers. Now, I realize that this is actually the tail end of the season, but for one reason or another, it's bowl games and play-offs that trigger my desire for wings.

I'm pretty sure I look like a madwoman, preparing for the chicken apocalypse, as I stack every last package of chicken wings and chicken drumettes from the cooler into my shopping cart. Should I even mention what happens once I get all that chicken home? Let's just say that if a fridge was a pair of jeans, I'd need a pair of pliers to zip them up.

So naturally, with all of those naked wings hanging out, I have to come up with some delicious flavors to dress them in. After I cut up my whole chicken wings, I usually marinate them for at least a few hours. While there's nothing wrong with simply baking them up and then saucing them, that extra time in a flavor bath only makes them even more finger-lickin' delicious.

These Bloody Mary chicken wings were prompted by a bottle of unopened spicy vodka staring at me from the table. I'm not much of a fan of drinking spicy liquor or liqueur plain, but I love the extra dimension of flavor it imparts when you add it to food.

The one exception I'll make in the drinking spicy liquor department is a Bloody Mary. I'm also that girl who orders spicy tomato juice on an airplane to drink alongside my bag of 7 pretzels. Apparently I enjoy drinking spicy tomatoes (this spicy bacon Bloody Mary is another favorite).

I started thinking about how much fun it would be to have a brunch that consisted simply of a buffet of chicken wings, seasoned simply and then grilled, baked, or fried (for a variety in textures and nuances) and a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar.

Then, alongside the sauceless wings, how perfect would it be to serve one batch of wings that is sauced—using a spicy Bloody Mary mixture! Sometimes I amaze myself. For the record, this is happening soon....football on the television is optional.

It's not every day you get to lick your cocktail off your fingers... in public.

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Bloody Mary Chicken Wings Recipe

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Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
1 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup spicy vodka, such as uv sriracha vodka
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the tips from the wings, then break them down into flats and drumettes. (Discard tips or save them for making chicken stock.) Place the wings into a gallon-sized zippered baggie or a large bowl.
Whisk the remaining ingredients together, then pour over the chicken. Seal the baggie or cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with foil, and then spray with nonstick spray.
Set a large strainer over a bowl and pour the wings into the strainer. Set them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each. Slide into preheated oven and roast for 40 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the marinade into a small pot. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until thick and reduced to just over 1/4 cup (it will be the consistency of a thick tomato sauce). Remove from heat.
After 40 minutes, quickly brush the sauce onto the wings, turning them so that the whole wing is sauced, then return to the oven for about 5 more minutes. Enjoy while warm.