When I was growing up, my mother had a standing appointment at the beauty shop. And her mother – my sweet Ma’am-ma – had her standing appointment at the beauty shop. Every Friday these ladies , like many Southern women, would have their hair washed and “set” for the week. This might explain my penchant for make-me-pretty services. I come from a legacy of well-coiffed women. So, years ago, when a local beauty school ( rumored to have given Priscella Presley a “do” or two back in the day) was revamped into a gorgeous new eatery in Midtowne Memphis, I had to give it a whirl. Beauty + food. Count me in!
The Beauty Shop was one of the first restaurants which introduced me to southern fusion cuisine nearly a decade ago. One of their signature dishes – and a fave of mine – is an appetizer of wings and watermelon – A mix of sweet chili lime sauce over chicken wings, topped with blue cheese crumbles, served with slices of chilled watermelon. The juxtaposition of flavors is amazing.
Given my appointment book doesn’t include a trip across the Mississippi River anytime soon, plus the fact, half of a watermelon from July 4th celebrations was hanging in my icebox, I was inspired to create this dish on my own. I found a Tyler Florence recipe that I tweaked a bit. WOW! The results were scrumptious and it makes a gorgeous presentation as well. As long as watermelons are in season, it looks like we’ll have a weekly standing appointment with this pretty little dish. It’s definitely a beauty “do”.
Chili Lime Wings + Watermelon
3-4 pounds chicken wings
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - ( I used a Kroger Private Selection Blend Lime-Sea Salt & Peppercorn Grinder)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 big, fat rounded tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 limes, halved
blue cheese crumbles
Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
optional: For HOT wings add 1/4 cup of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Half of watermelon, chilled, sliced into wedges
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse the wings under cool water and pat dry. Trim the wing tips and discard. Put wings in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper (or Spice mix listed above) . Toss to coat with the seasoning. Then spread the wings out on a baking sheet and roast about 40 minutes until the skin gets crisp and brown, and the meat is tender.
In a blender, mix butter, red curry paste honey and soy sauce until smooth. Season with salt and puree. Scrape into a big bowl. When the wings are crispy and fresh from the oven, add to the bowl with the curry butter. Squeeze the juice of the limes over the wings. Toss wings in sauce. Transfer to a large platter. Garnish with chopped cilantro and blue cheese crumbles. Serve with chilled watermelon wedges.
If you like things extra spicy, definitely give the Sriracha HOT chili sauce a try. It will make your hair curl.
Cheers, Y’all!
by boots
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