Diablo Chicken Wings

For this episode of Food Network Star, we were to make a favorite dish for a Halloween party. I pitched a number of recipes to Alton Brown that I felt were perfect for a Halloween party: my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or Caramel Apple Cake among other things... what he decided would be best for the menu was a spicy chicken wing dish that you could make less spicy for the kids by reducing the heat. Here's the recipe:

Diablo Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Marinade

½ cup blood orange juice (ok to substitute regular orange juice)

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Sirracha           

3 pounds chicken wings, tips removed and drumettes

Glaze

1 large jar apricot preserves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons Sirracha, optional

Method

Mix the orange juice, olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the Sirracha together in an extra large plastic zip top bag or a large glass bowl. Allow the chicken to marinate as long as possible, overnight is preferable.

Whisk all of the ingredients for the glaze except the butter together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the butter; let sit for 15 minutes to cool and thicken.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep two large baking sheets with wire racks. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the racks. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until chicken is done and the skin is crispy. 

Transfer hot wings from oven to a large heatproof bowl and pour enough sauce into the bowl to coat the wings. Toss to coat well. Transfer wings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.  Bake 6-7 minutes or until the glaze is caramelized. Brush with a little more sauce if desired. Serve with a dipping sauce like sour cream and chives or scallions.

Yield: 3 dozen wings