Browned and ready

Peach Sauce

I’m not a great fan of chicken wings, although I don’t avoid them.  Maybe it’s my aversion to sticky fingers and the rings they leave around your nostrils.  But, I eat ribs, the mess of messes.

A more likely reason for my aversion are the many chicken wing recipes made so spicy hot you can’t taste the chicken, or laced with so much sugar the wings are more like a high protein candy.  A big thumbs down and disgusting sneeze to both of those.  This recipe is a bit different.  Spices are the supporting actors that highlight the taste of the chicken.  And, no sugar.

Recently, I read a short article on body types.  Turns out I'm a hunter, which came as a shock since I’m so mild mannered, shy, and non-aggressive.  I generally don’t hunt until the garden critters begin to make my mouth water.

Hunters, those charming individuals who tend to store fat around their waist, need to avoid grains, and most of all, refined carbs.   Sugars (fructose, sucrose, any kind of -ose) are the elephants of the refined carb group.

If you’re not a hunter, you’re probably a farmer, meaning you store fat around your hips and thighs.  You’ll want to avoid runaway tractors, animal fats, and fried foods.

If you’re a woman, neither of these types and store your fat around your chest, please call me.

Where do I get all these fabulously useful facts?  In this case my expert is Details Magazine, that noted medical journal that will also give you hints on how to look good if you’re under 25, have a 28 inch waist and plenty of money.  Also, you might check out which seven hundred dollar sports coat looks best with your three hundred dollar jeans.

Back to the body type.   I’ve always pictured myself as a woodsman, or some might say a ‘lumbering oaf.’  But, I bow to the experts who seem to be able to check out a startlingly masculine individual and say, “Yep, definitely a hunter.  Give that man a spear and keep him the hell away from cupcakes and spotted dick!”  Hey, spotted dick is a very English dessert, so clean up your mind and move on to the recipe.

No Sugar, Gingered Chicken Wings

2 pounds chicken wings, washed, disjointed, tips discarded or for another use

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

Juice from one fresh lime

4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped

3 inches ginger root, chopped 

2 medium peaches, or one large (I used two donut peaches)

1 dried hot pepper, stem removed, seeds and skin chopped, or use 1 Tablespoon pepper flakes  (Tobasco has a distinct flavor and I don’t use it in this recipe.)  Use more red pepper if your taste buds are wilted from hours of drinking, or you want all the wings to yourself..

Put everything in a blender and blend well.

Put the chicken wings in a sealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over them.  Best if marinated overnight.

Shake off any excess marinate and place all remaining marinade in a saucepan.  Cook to boiling, then turn it off.

Place the chicken wings either six inches above the heat, or on the side of the grill for indirect heat.  Grill approximately 25 minutes, turning once.  They should turn a nice, welcoming brown.

Serve with the cooked marinade, either brushed on, or as a dipping sauce.

This recipe is not for everyone.  Some will say, “It’s not sweet enough.”  Oh, really?  Does the title of the recipe give you a clue?  No salt either.  Add some if you want.

I know what you’re thinking.  Peaches have sugar in the form of fructose, right?  Yep, but only 8.4 grams per 100 grams of fruit.  As a comparison, sweet corn has 6.2 grams.  A sweet onion has 7.6 grams, and a sweet potato has 20 grams.

Here’s a tip on trying to avoid sugar.  Don’t guess.  Read the label.  Probably the worst type of sugar is high fructose corn syrup.  It’s so pervasive it’s difficult to avoid.  Most common bottled sauces, like Heinz 57, and catsup have it.  Even hamburger and hot dog buns have it.  Many, many processed foods have it.

So, can I really avoid sugar?  Not all of it.  But, hey, I’m a hunter.  Stalking grizzlies and wild boars, with nothing but a spear and raw courage.  Sugar avoidance?  Piece of cake.