Okay, I got on the scale this morning and I’ve actually gained weight. I’ve been trying so hard!! What’s going on? I think I know-I’m a food lover! I just can’t help myself. And one of my all-time favorite places to go for a good casual meal is the Yard House. My husband and I discovered the place when we visited Oahu last November. It was right down the sidewalk from our hotel. The food was so good! In fact of the 10 nights we were there, we ended up eating there most of those nights. In addition to the great food, they play fun music and have 100s of choices of draft ales and lagers (another diet downfall of mine).
One of my favorites at the Yard House are the Firecracker Wings. I even asked for the recipe but was told, “It’s a secret.” Well, after a bit of searching, I found a recipe that comes very close:
Talie’s Firecracker Wings
2 large garlic cloves
1 ½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp mild honey
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
2 dashes of cayenne
3 lb chicken wings *
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions (green part only), finely sliced
(* I like to use drummies/wingettes. If you use wings, cut off and discard the tips from chicken wings with a large knife and half the wings at joint before cooking.)
Put oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil the foil. Use additional pans if needed. Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wings/wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat. Arrange wings/wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wings to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion. Serve immediately.
Give it a try and let me know if this is one of the reasons I’m struggling to drop those nagging 25lbs!