Just Wing It

@1humblepalateSince the closure of Wing It diner in the capital, places that offer chicken wings have been getting scarce.

Truth be told, Covid-19 has seriously knocked the Namibian food scene, and many places did not survive.

I didn’t care much for the establishment as my one and only experience there left a bad taste in my mouth.

Their famous ‘Jamaican jerk’ variant was nothing like the West Indian sort, and came across as badly marinated wings with a damp, fried dry rub, clinging on for dear life. Eek!

Namibians, Windhoekers in particular, love their wings – braaied, fiery and spicy, plain, and especially those dunked in a revolting barbeque ‘sauce’ of sorts – we go through those things like the chicken has no other parts.

The dunked stuff, found at that other establishment of which the letters shall not be mentioned, have almost a cult following.

Known to ‘cure’ the effects of a hard night revelled in at the market just up the road, you can easily tell the level of disappointment you possess as you walk to the counter, only to be told “we don’t have wings”.

Adding insult to injury, the attendant behind the till will then go on to say “the chicken will be 25 minutes”.

“So what do you have?” you brazenly ask, glaring at the illuminating menu sign above you.

“We have ice cream only . . .”

Sad.

In our home the fight is between who gets the drums, and who gets the flats.

When a bird is being prepared, wings are disregarded as they do not contain enough ‘meat’, and are considered a snack really.

They only become a full meal when there is enough of them, aka more than eight per person.

So, each time we get to prepare these, it’s a feast. Never cooked in only one way, they are grilled, baked and fried, and the sauces have to be top-notch.

The number of wing-to-sauce combinations is in itself limitless, and you can try three different type of wings with six different types of sauces. Who cares?

One only needs to visit Aunty Google and ask for a recipe, and you’re flying with wings. They work great as a cocktail snack, a starter before dinner, or a meal all on their own.

The classic buffalo wings are a must, a truly American tradition. Grilled wings with kapana spice and salsa should be made Namibia’s second national dish after kapana itself (we’ll start a petition).

The sweet and spicy ones seem to be a strange and unwanted concept for many. How can you mix something sweet and savoury together? If you haven’t tried it, give me a call, I’ll blow your culinary mind. Garlic wings, smoked wings, wings dipped in booze, lemon-and-lime wings – basically you can do anything with the little buggers, your only limit is your imagination.

What makes a great wing? A combination of factors.

The size: Don’t get flimsy, tiny wings. If you can afford to get the big ones, do so, so you can get more bite for your buck.

The cooking method: Whether you grill or bake or fry, ensure you do not overcook your wings.

The sauce: This will elevate your wings. Knowing which flavours work well will help you enjoy every single bite.

Sauces range from barbeque, ranch and salsa to creamy blue-cheese sauce.

The list, again, is endless.

So grab a few, prep them well, dip them good and eat ’em all!

Ingredients

4 wings (that’s 4 drums and 4 flats)

2 medium potatoes

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