Harissa Fried Chicken Wings

I came across a huge display of fresh blood oranges at my neighborhood grocery store and it got me thinking about an old dish I used to cook several years ago. In the dish, blood oranges were caramelized with sugar then tossed with spicy grilled chicken wings and chopped cilantro. The original recipe came from Ghillie Basan's lushly photographed book 'Modern Moroccan'. I still had my epic Moroccan Salt and Pepper style Shrimp fresh in my mind when I decided to blend the two dishes together resulting in Harissa Fried Chicken Wings, which is surely destined to be a family classic.

Let Spicy Harissa Enliven Your Next Dinner Party

Ever notice how quiet the first 15 minutes of most any dinner party is? While the hosts are busy getting drinks ready, everyone else is standing around being shyly sheepish. This dish will change that. No forks or knives are necessary, this messy dish is fun to serve at dinner parties because it's lively and forces interaction.

Mild or Hot?

You can make it as hot or mild as you like. Remember, the cool, citrusy sweet flavor of the oranges offsets the fiery heat of harissa.

Harissa Fried Chicken Wings

Marinating the wings

• 12 chicken wings (rinsed and patted dry)

• 1-2 tbsp harissa paste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Cooking the chicken wings

• 2 quarts of vegetable oil, for frying heated to 350 - 375 degrees

• 1 tsp flake sea salt

• 1 cup potato starch, or cornstarch

Cooking the oranges and vegetables

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 blood oranges (cut each into 8 segments)

• 2 cloves garlic (mashed)

• 1 tbsp diced ginger root

• 1/4 cup diced onion

• 1/4 cup diced red pepper

• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Marinating the wings

1. Mix the wings, harissa, and olive oil together and let marinate overnight.

Cooking the chicken wings

1. Season chicken wings with flake sea salt then put the chicken wings into a bowl of potato starch. Toss for a few minutes till the potato starch forms a breading.

2. Heat your fry oil to at least 350 degrees in a large pot. Shake excess potato starch off wings and carefully deep fry for about ten minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on a paper towel while you are preparing the rest of your dish.

Cooking the oranges and vegetables

1. Over high heat, fry the orange segments in vegetable oil until lightly brown colored. Remove from pan and reserve.

2. Add the garlic, diced ginger, onion, and peppers and saute quickly. The idea is to soften them a bit but still maintain a bit of crunchiness. 

Finishing the Dish

1. In a bowl, toss your chicken wings, oranges, vegetables, and cilantro, then arrange nicely on a serving platter. After each bite of spicy chicken take a bite of orange to cool the heat off in your mouth. Pure heaven.