'This is probably my favorite wings recipe, and I’ve written a fair few because chicken wings are perfect party food: inexpensive, easy to cook and transformed by their time over fire.
Here they are marinated and dressed with a vigorous, fragrant sauce singing with herbs, lemongrass and lime. I find the combination of the aromatics, creamy yoghurt and rich butter irresistible, especially on crackly chicken skin, still fizzing from the grill.' - Helen Graves in her book BBQ Days, BBQ Nights; Barbecue Recipes for Year-Round Feasting
Ingredients
18 whole chicken wings, separated into flats and drums
100 g (3ó oz/scant ó cup) Greek yoghurt
50 g (1. oz) butter
Marinade
6 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
large bunch of cilantro, leaves and stalks
large bunch of basil, leaves and stalks
small bunch of mint, leaves only
2 shallots, peeled
2 lemongrass stalks, outer layers removed and stalks sliced
thumb of ginger, peeled
2 fresh green chillies
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons)
lime juice
grated zest of 2 limes
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons) neutral oil
generous pinch of flaky sea salt
To serve
lime wedges
Cilantro leaves
Method
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small blender and whizz to a paste.
Combine the wings with two-thirds of the marinade and all the yoghurt and marinate in the fridge for as long as possible (up to 24 hours, if you have time).
Prepare a barbecue for two-zone cooking with the coals arranged in the centre of the barbecue and space around the edge.
Once the barbecue is ready, arrange the wings in a circle around the coals, but not directly over them.
Cook the wings, turning them every so often, until cooked through and caramelised. This will take about 30 minutes, and you can move the wings further into the centre as the coals burn down.
Combine the butter and reserved marinade in a saucepan and melt together, warming through for a couple of minutes.
Place the wings on a platter or dish then pour the butter over the cooked wings.
Serve with lime wedges and cilantro
To cook indoors: Cook under a preheated hot grill for about 20 minutes, turning the wings once, until cooked through and charred in places.