Recipe: Henry Omereye’s chicken wings with Bajan pepper sauce

The number one item in my fridge is my homemade Bajan pepper sauce, says Henry Omereye, chef-patron of Riding House Cafés. This sauce adds that extra zing to any dish, whether that’s chicken wings, a pasta, sandwiches or even a chip dip.

Ingredients: serves about ten people

For the chicken wing marinade

• 1kg bone-in chicken wings
• 500g buttermilk
• 40g all-purpose seasoning

For the pickled red onions (makes a big enough batch to last a few servings)

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• 500g white wine vinegar
• 200g caster sugar
• 2kg red onions

For the original chicken fry mix

• 500g wheat flour
• 20g table salt
• 8g ground pimento
• 15g onion powder
• 15g garlic powder
• 10g dried thyme

For the Bajan pepper sauce

• 268g banana shallots
• 36g Spanish onions
• 28g turmeric powder
• 28g mustard powder
• 28g table salt
• 40 scotch bonnet pepper
• 50g garlic
• 136g horseradish
• 1 lime zest
• 450ml distilled malt vinegar
• 500g mayonnaise

To serve (per portion)

• A sprig of coriander
• 50g Bajan pepper sauce mixed
• 30g pickled red onions
• five fried chicken wings

Method

• Make the Bajan pepper sauce by blitzing all ingredients into a smooth paste.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for three to four days before using.
• On the day before cooking, prepare the chicken wings by picking off any excess hairs of the wings, rubbing them with all-purpose seasoning and then soaking the mixture in buttermilk overnight.
• Make a batch of pickled red onions by bringing vinegar and sugar to a boil and taking it off the heat.
• In the meantime, cut the onions into rings and add them to the mixture.
• Cover and allow to sit at room temperature until ready to plate.
• Combine all dry ingredients for the chicken fry mix
• Whisk together the Bajan sauce paste and mayonnaise to create a serving sauce - set aside until ready to plate
• Take the wings from the buttermilk and coat them in the dry frying mix.
• Deep fry at 180 degrees for seven minutes until golden brown then finish in the oven for five to six minutes,
• Plate with a sprig of coriander, the pickled red onions, the Bajan pepper sauce and five fried wings.

Henry Omereye is the chef-patron of Riding House Cafés, which includes Riding House Café, Rail House Café and Riding House Bloomsbury in its portfolio. He attended the Butler’s Wharf Chef School at 18, where he was scouted to join Harrods, and his career has spanned countries and cuisines, from Terence Conran’s Sartoria to The Cliff Beach Club in Barbados, which he opened himself. He moved to Riding House Café in April 2018.

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