Chicken wings stuffed with prawns
The flavour combinations stuffing
·
4 large free-range chicken wings
·
20g carrots, leek and celery stalks, cut into
1cm cubes (reserve off-cuts for the sauce)
·
45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
·
100g raw prawns (reserve heads and shells for
the sauce)
·
50ml fresh cream
·
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
·
A splash of anisette liqueur (Pernod, raki,
absinthe or Noilly Prat)
Sauce
·
1 onion, chopped
·
500ml (2 cups) water
·
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
·
1 fresh bay leaf
·
15ml (1 tbsp) tomato paste
·
1 garlic clove
·
Splash of cream (optional)
Tomato compote
·
4 ripe tomatoes
·
1 shallot, finely diced
·
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
·
30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
·
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
·
Butter, for frying
Chicken
wings stuffed with prawns
Herb oil
·
25g fresh parsley
·
50ml olive oil
·
Fresh basil or samphire, to serve
·
Rosa or cherry tomatoes, sliced and lightly
sautéed, to serve
How to do it
1. To debone chicken wings, start from the shoulder side. Being careful
not to break the skin, remove the two bone sections, turning meat and skin
inside out as you move forward. When you reach the second joint, just before
the wing tip, cut the bone and cartilage, and leave the wing tip as is. Set
aside bones for stock, and turn wings right-side-out again.
2. For the stuffing, sear the cubed vegetables in 5ml (1 tsp) of olive
oil. Set aside to cool. Blitz the prawns in a blender with cream, salt and pepper.
Add vegetables and season with a splash of anisette.
3. For the sauce, place the chicken bones in a medium saucepan and cook
over medium heat until lightly browned. Add vegetable off-cuts, prawn shells
and heads, and the onion. Add water, a pinch of salt, pepper and the bay leaf.
Add the tomato paste and garlic clove, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. For the tomato compote, blanch the tomatoes (see cook’s tip) in
boiling water, remove the skins and the seeds, and chop into small cubes. Sear the
shallot and garlic in the olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, simmer for 10
seconds, making sure the tomato flesh stays firm and does not overcook. Season
to taste.\
5. To stuff the chicken wings, place the prawn filling in a piping bag
with a hole nozzle attached. Pipe the filling into the chicken wings – remember
that the filling will expand during cooking, so don’t overfill. Close the wings
at the open shoulder end with a toothpick. Place the wings in a pan with
butter, and cook on medium heat until they are lightly browned, taking care to
spoon the butter over them as they cook, about 10 minutes.
6. Shortly before serving, strain the sauce through a fine sieve. If
you prefer, you can reduce the sauce further, and finish it off with a splash of
cream.
7. For the herb oil, finely blend the parsley and olive oil together.
8. To plate, place the tomato compote in the centre of a large flat plate.
Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken wings twice, diagonally, and place on the
tomato compote. Drizzle sauce around the edges of the tomato compote and
chicken wing, keeping the crisp skin of the wing sauce-free. Garnish with basil
or, if you live near a lagoon, you can find samphire (Salicornia). Wash the
samphire – if you want to reduce the salt content, you can soak it in plain
cold water for a few hours before serving. Place either the basil or samphire on
top of the wings and scatter with sliced Rosa or cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with
the herb oil and serve.
Cook’s tip
To blanch tomatoes, cut a small cross in
the tomato skin before plunging into boiling water for 7 seconds. Remove with a
sieve or spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water.
Tomato
compote
