Forget lamb this this Australia Day. Paul Mercurio’s spicy wings and sides are the perfect hot weather fare…

Wings

• 10 chicken wings
• One tablespoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder, smoky paprika, lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons of coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 tablespoon of rice flour
• Pre heat oven to 180 c

Combine all the spices and mix well. Put chicken wings in a plastic bag, tip in spice then seal the bag and give it a good shake so as to coat the wings very well. Arrange on an oven tray and put in hot oven. After 15 minutes or so turn the wings over and cook for another 15 minutes, turn again and leave until cooked. They should take between 30 and 40 minutes to cook.

Slaw

• 1 cup green cabbage – finely sliced
• 1 cup red cabbage – finely sliced
• ½ cup of snow peas – finely sliced
• 1 medium carrot – finely sliced
• 2 cheeks from a red capsicum – finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons mixed seeds (bought at health food section in one packet) – pepitas, sunflower and pine nuts

Put all ingredients in a large salad bowl and mix to combine well

Dressing

• 1 cup of good Mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup of castor sugar
• 2 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of horse radish cream
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Combine well so that the sugar dissolves then pour over the cabbage and mix well.

Oven Baked Chips

• 6 large kipfler potatoes
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Salt – Murray River Pink Salt
• 1 – 2 teaspoon Chilli powder – optional

Wash and dry potatoes – don’t peel them. Cut in half – down the middle lengthways then cut each half in half but not lengthways this time. Now cut three wedges out of each piece of potato quarter. Throw all the chips into a large bowl and pour some olive oil over them and then sprinkle with the salt and chilli powder if you are using it and give the potatoes a really good toss so they are well coated.

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Now here comes the bit that makes these chips really good – tip the chips onto an oven tray and sit each chip on its round back or rocker so that the wedge part of the chips is facing up. What this does is limits the contact of the potato to the oven tray and thus stops the potato from steaming and sticking to the tray. It also allows air and heat to circulate around more of the potato – kind of dry roasting it which means the chips have a lovely dry and slightly crunchy skin and they are not at all oily!

Cook for about 25 – 30 mins. I put them in about ten minutes after I put the wings in and find they are ready when the wings are done. You do not have to turn them just let them cook.

For more great recipes made with beer and made for beer, grab a copy of Paul’s excellent book, Cooking With Beer.