Winging It

Hot, sultry days call for light food that’s easy to prepare. These chicken wings fill the bill. They taste great either hot or at room temperature.

I suggest marinating them overnight. That way, you can bake them in the morning while it’s still cool, or grill them in the evening when the sun goes down. If grilling, soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes so they don’t burn.

The easiest way to marinate the wings is to put them with the marinade in a plastic bag that seals well. Turn and massage the bag a few times while marinating so all sides of the wings are evenly coated.

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MAUI TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup light soy sauce

2 green onions, minced

1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger root, pureed

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

10 chicken wings

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

10 small pineapple wedges

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Combine chicken wings and marinade and marinate in refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning several times to cover evenly.

Remove wings from marinade. Reserve marinade for basting. Spread wings and thread lengthwise on bamboo skewers, keeping as flat as possible. Lightly sprinkle five-spice powder over both sides of wings. Thread 1 pineapple wedge on end of each skewer.

Place skewers on rack in oven and bake at 450 degrees 15 minutes. Turn and bake until chicken wings are browned and juices run clear when thickest part of flesh is pierced with sharp knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Brush wings several times with marinade during cooking. Alternately, grill over hot coals until chicken wings are browned and juices run clear when thickest part of flesh is pierced with sharp knife, 10 to 15 minutes per side.

10 skewers. Each skewer:

114 calories; 417 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

* Platter and Placemat from Soolip, North Hollywood.