Tea Smoked Chicken Wings

Make these for a party, and I guarantee they will be the first things to disappear. Everyone loves these scrumptious, delicately flavored rice and tea-smoked wings in a honey glaze. The smell of the sweet smoke is delightful. Intended as an appetizer with 2 to 3 wings per person, the recipe can easily serve as an entree of 6 wings per person with a side of rice and Japanese eggplant. (see recipe)
Yield 24 wings
Ingredients

marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 thick chunk of ginger, 1 inch long
4 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3-1/2 pounds chicken wings (1 pound yields 8 to 10 wings)

smoking mixture
1/2 cup rice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup loose black tea, such as Lapsang Souchong or Pekoe
6 cloves, whole
3 star anise pods, broken up
1 tablespoon roughly chopped orange peel

finishing
2/3 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon sesame seeds


1 Blend the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2 Place wings in a bowl or zippered bag, pour marinade over wings and then toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3 Preheat smoker. In a bowl, mix all smoking mixture ingredients together.
4 From double layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, make a tray small enough to fit on the heat source in a smoker. Put half the smoking mixture in tray. (Do not use a water bath for this smoking.) Place tray directly on the heat source.
5 Place wings on oiled rack, then place rack on lowest level in smoker.
6 After 30 minutes, remove tray and pour in remaining smoking mixture. Return tray to smoker. Turn over wings.
7 Smoke for 25 minutes more or until done. Test that chicken is cooked.
8 Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.

notes NOTE On Smokers: We use an inexpensive Brinkman electric smoker. For a smoking tray, reserve an old, heavy metal or disposable pie plate. This dish can be cooked on a grill if you don't have a smoker. For grilling, use an old sheet pan that you can reserve exclusively for grill smoking, as it won't be pretty after this. Line the pan with heavy-duty foil to roast the smoking mixture. Place the wings on the rack and put them on preheated grill. Close the lid. Follow steps 5 to 8 above, but note that the wings will cook quicker on a grill.
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