“Left wing, chicken wing, it don’t make no difference to me.” -American Depression-era folk legend Woody Guthrie

I wouldn’t go anywhere near the word “athletic” as a descriptor for either myself or my sister.  Rather, she and I have tended to have more luck with physical activities that, despite their own inherent challenges, only barely qualify as sports:  ballet (me), hunter jumping (her), and a bunch of recreational skiing, snowboarding, and SCUBA diving.  Curious, then, that both of us were practically raised on football fields.

Growing up in South Bend, Indiana and having a Notre Dame graduate for a father meant that our household observed two religions:  Roman Catholicism and Notre Dame football.  The “Notre Dame Victory March” was our family’s national anthem.  My father put out an embarrassing blue and gold flag on the 4th of July while everyone else displayed Old Glory.  Other dads carried around nice leather wallets; ours carried around a succession of crappy synthetic fiber-and-velcro numbers that proudly displayed the ND logo.  And he dragged us to a lot of games.

These days, I probably couldn’t even coherently explain to you how football is actually played, and probably couldn’t name a single player on any of the teams (college or pro).  But I do have very fond memories of tailgate parties and cheering crowds.  I remember going early once to see some of the pre-game practice and having my picture taken with “Downtown” Timmy Brown, the star player at the time.  I was thoroughly amused by “Touchdown Jesus.”  When our family moved to Colorado Springs when I was 9 years old, we would go to Air Force Academy games whenever they played Notre Dame, and I absolutely loved the stealth-bomber flyovers, the parachuters, and watching the cadets do touchdown pushups.  My fondness for game day seems to have had virtually nothing to do with the game itself, and that’s still proving true.

On the pro side of the game, I’ve definitely hosted quite a few Superbowl parties, but I can’t remember the last time I actually watched the game.  I don’t know who won last year (or even who played), and I probably won’t know this year, either.  I look at it as something of an American slacker holiday – just an excuse to hang out with friends, drink beer, and eat yummy junk food.  I look for every excuse to grab the remote control and switch to Animal Planet for Puppy Bowl and the Kitten Rave Half-Time Show in between bites of Seven-Layer Dip and sips of IPA.

This year, my contribution to Superbowl Sunday is a recipe for the easiest, stickiest, goo-iest, most addictive chicken wings I’ve had in a long while.  (I miss you dearly Momofuku Noodle Bar ones!) These are simple to throw together for a crowd (the recipe can be easily multiplied, too) since most of the work is done in advance and you just bake them off when ready.  They’re a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and chock full of Asian-y barbecue-y goodness.  This can only mean one thing – a touchdown victory dance for creating such crowd-pleasing goodness.

Ingredients:

1 dozen chicken wings without wing tips, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels, and reserved in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap until ready to use

1 tbsp. peanut oil

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. Asian chile sauce, such as Sambal Oelek

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root, washed, peeled, and chopped fine

1 large clove garlic, washed, peeled, smashed, and chopped fine

1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan over medium-low heat until golden-brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally

1 scallion, washed, trimmed, and sliced into thin rounds on a bias, for garnish

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.  In a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl, combine peanut oil, hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile sauce, ginger, and garlic.  Whisk together with a fork or small whisk until well combined.  Place the chicken wings in a sealable plastic bag, and pour about 2/3 of the hoisin mixture over them.  Reserve the remainder.  Seal the bag and place on a plate (so as to avoid any messes) and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour and up to overnight/8 hours.  Try to redistribute the marinating liquid once or twice during the marination process.

2.  Preheat oven to 425ºF.

3.  Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with a layer of aluminum foil.  Arrange the marinated chicken wings on the sheet tray in a single layer, skin side up. Pour the marinade liquid from the bag over the wings, distributing as evenly as possible.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

4.  Remove the wings from the oven, and carefully flip them over.  (NOTE:  It’s likely that a few of them are going to stick to the foil a little bit.  The easiest way to flip them over without tearing the skin apart is by gently sliding a spatula underneath.)  Pour the reserved 1/3 of the hoisin mixture evenly over the wings and place back in the oven to cook for another 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven, allow to rest for about 8-10 minutes under a sheet of aluminum foil, and then arrange on a serving platter.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and garnish with sliced scallions.  Serve warm with lots of napkins.  :)

Yield:  1 dozen reasons to lick your fingers without losing your dignity