Deviled Bones
Chicken wings tossed in a spicy, complex sauce featuring mushroom ketchup
City/Region: England
Time Period: 1854
The history of hot wings goes much further back than 1964 in Buffalo, New York, as a Google search might have you believe. Deviled bones were a way to use up undesirable chicken wings for centuries before that, calling for leftover cooked joints that still had some meat on them (the bones), and flavorful spices (deviled).
If you’re not a lover of spicy things, like me, then the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne is plenty. That said, feel free to adjust the amounts of any of the spices to suit your taste. I was afraid that the mustard would be overpowering, but it isn’t. The flavor is complex and full of umami thanks to the mushroom ketchup. This is an easy recipe to do some prep work the day before, as the wings would have originally been leftovers.
“Devilled Bones
Take the bones of any remaining joint or poultry, which has still some meat on, which cut across slightly, and then make a mixture of mustard, salt, cayenne, and pepper, and one teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup to two of mustard; rub the bones well with this, and broil rather brownish.”
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs (1 kg) chicken wings
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mushroom ketchup*
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
- A few tablespoons melted butter, optional
*See notes below.
Instructions:
- Unlike modern hot wings, we’re going to pre-cook the chicken wings. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Pat the wings dry to get a crispier skin. Season them with salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the wings hit 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the meat. Take them out and let them cool completely. You could do this part the day before and keep them in the fridge.
- Preheat your oven’s broiler.
- Whisk together the salt, dry mustard powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Feel free to adjust the amounts of any of the seasonings to your taste. Mix in the mushroom ketchup and the prepared mustard.
- Cut a couple of slices into the meat of each cooled chicken wing. Place them in a bowl, pour in the sauce, and toss until the chicken is well coated.
- Place the wings on a rack over a lined baking sheet. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly. When they’re nice and browned, take them out.
- If you’d like, brush or toss the wings in some melted butter, then serve them forth.
Notes
- Link to mushroom ketchup: https://www.amazon.com/Geo-Watkins-Mushroom-Ketchup-190ml/dp/B01D6JJA98
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