Cheat’s Smoked Chipotle Wings & Avocado Crema

Done in 1.5 hours

Serves 4

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

Dry Rub:

50gsoft light brown sugar

30gfine sea salt

1/2 tspgarlic powder

1 tspmustard powder

1 tspcayenne pepper

1 tspsmoked paprika

1kgfree range chicken wings

For the sauce:

1 tbspolive oil

½small red onion

2garlic cloves, chopped

2tbsp tomato purée

100mlcider vinegar

85glight soft brown sugar

1½ tspmustard powder

1½ tspsmoked paprika

1 tbspWorcestershire sauce

3 tspchipotle paste

350mlpassata

75mlblack treacle

If you fancy smoked food but haven't got a smoker, this sneaky hack is the way to go to imbue your food with the flavour of burning things.

Method

Whisk together the ingredients for the dry rub and toss the chicken wings thoroughly before setting aside.

Line a roasting tray with silver foil (use an old unloved one as things are about to get dirty), throw in a large handful of smoking chips and place the chicken on a rack above them. I used four balls of silver foil to balance the rack on.

Wrap the whole thing up in foil and tightly seal. Make sure you have your extraction on full or a window open - it's smoking time!

Place over a direct flame. Soon you'll start seeing small wisps of smoke escaping - this is a good thing! Lower the heat and keep it smoking for around 20 mins, then pop in a preheated oven for a further 40 minutes until the wings are cooked through.

Meanwhile, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, then add the tomato puree and all the other ingredients. Stir all the time until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.

When ready to cook, fire up your grill and add your wings. Baste both sides and allow the sauce to bubble and char in places.

In the meantime, make your crema - add everything to a blender and whizz until perfectly smooth.

Serve the wings with the crema and a sprinkling of chopped coriander.

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.