Esther's Raspberry Balsamic Barbequed Wings

This recipe is the second of Esther the Zester’s adventures with our Raspberry Balsamic. If you don’t know the story of Esther, you can read about how we met her here – but even better, you should visit her amazing food blog here.

     Used with permission – Esther the Zester

Below is one of two chicken wing recipes Esther featured for Father’s Day, 2016. The full recipe and a recipe for Wings with Whiskey Buffalo Sauce can be found here.

In regard to baking the wings, Esther writes:

For my wings recipe, I decided to go with the baking process — mainly, because it’s healthier than fried wings (and just as yummy), and I wanted to keep the kitchen semi-clean for once (you can imagine how a kitchen looks when someone is working on a cookbook).

I love barbecue, so I created baked chicken wings with a sweet and tangy barbeque sauce, using an infused balsamic vinegar (raspberry was my choice, but you get to pick your flavor).
 
We love Esther’s choice of Raspberry; the sweet tangy pop of fresh raspberry is quite apparent in the savory sauce. We did experiment with some alternatives, our Traditional Barrel-Aged and our Dark Sweet Cherry also performed well.
 
Wings

• 1 dozen chicken wings, halved, with the tips removed and discarded (unless you’re saving them for a future chicken stock)
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lay out all the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and pat dry (this will help keep the wings crispy). Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on both sides (not too much), and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.

Stick the wings in the oven for 35-40 minutes (depending on if you like them extra crispy like I do), flipping them halfway through the cooking time.

Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Pastamore Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients (except for the balsamic vinegar) and heat on medium-low heat until it begins to boil. Turn off heat and stir in the balsamic.

Transfer to a bowl and toss with wings. Serve and enjoy.