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1
Make the Bajan Seasoning
10 Mins
Room temperature
Put the spring onions, garlic, thyme, marjoram, Scotch bonnet, mustard, lime juice, salt and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend to a thick, spoonable green paste, scraping the sides down once. Taste a fingertip — it should be herby, tangy, salty and hot, in that order.
Do not add water — the lime juice is enough liquid, and a runny paste slides off the wings.
Done when: A thick green paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
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2
Season & Marinate the Wings
4 Hours
Fridge, 4°C (39°F)
Cut each turkey wing at the joints into a drumette and a flat, and discard the tips. Pat the pieces very dry with paper towels, then rub the seasoning paste all over every piece, pushing it into the joints and cuts. Put the wings in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavour.
Overnight is best — the salt and lime in the seasoning work their way into the tough wing meat while you sleep. This marinating time is not counted in the 150-minute active total.
Done when: Every piece is evenly coated, with paste visible in the joints.
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3
Brown the Wings
15 Mins
Medium-high heat
Take the wings out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so they lose their chill. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the oil and let it melt and turn a deep amber — this is the browning that gives the gravy its colour. Working in batches so the pot is never crowded, lay the wings in skin-side down and brown them for 3–4 minutes a side until deeply golden, then lift them out onto a plate.
If the sugar turns black and smells bitter, it has burned — wipe the pot out and start the browning again, or the whole gravy will taste bitter.
Done when: Wings are deep golden-brown on both sides; the oil is dark amber, not black.
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4
Build the Gravy
10 Mins
Medium heat
Lower the heat to medium. In the same pot, with all the browned bits still in it, cook the sliced onion and green pepper for 4–5 minutes until soft, then stir in the diced tomato and cook for 2 minutes more until it starts to break down. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift all the browned bits into the liquid — that is where the flavour lives.
Do not wash the pot between browning and building the gravy — the browned bits stuck to the bottom are the base of the whole dish.
Done when: Onions are soft, the tomato has collapsed, and the broth is dark and smells of herbs.
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5
Braise Low & Slow Until Tender
90 Mins
Gentle simmer, 85–95°C (185–200°F)
Return the browned turkey wings to the pot, nestling them into the gravy so they are almost covered. Bring to a bare simmer, then cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook on the lowest heat for about 90 minutes, turning the wings once halfway through. Turkey wings are tough, and only this long, gentle braise makes them tender — do not rush it with a hard boil. The wings are done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the thickest part reads at least 74°C (165°F) on a thermometer. If the gravy is still thin, lift the wings out and simmer the gravy uncovered for 5 minutes until it coats a spoon.
A hard boil toughens the meat and clouds the gravy — you want the surface barely trembling, with a bubble breaking every few seconds.
Done when: Meat pulls easily from the bone; thickest part reads at least 74°C (165°F); gravy coats a spoon.
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6
Rest & Serve
5 Mins
Off the heat
Take the pot off the heat and rest the wings in the gravy for 5 minutes so the meat relaxes and drinks in a little of the sauce. Spoon the wings onto warm plates with plenty of gravy over the top, and serve hot with rice, macaroni pie and garden salad.
Serve the gravy generously — it is the whole point of the dish, and plain rice is there to soak it up.
Done when: Gravy has settled and clings to the wings; the meat is tender and moist when cut.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the wings in the gravy for 5 minutes, then plate them hot with a generous ladle of gravy over each serving, alongside rice, macaroni pie and garden salad — and pass the Bajan hot pepper sauce for anyone who wants more heat.
Barbados
55m
