These lip-smacking chicken wings are sweet and sticky.

“This recipe it so simple to prepare that Ben’s mum swears by it,” Wingmans owners David Turofsky and Ben Ford explain in their new cookbook. “It’s sweet and sticky, with just enough lemon to keep it fresh and zingy.

Honey monster chicken wings (Dan Jones/PA)
Honey monster chicken wings (Dan Jones/PA)

“The secret to this is the pepper,” they adds. “Don’t be tempted to use store-bought ground black pepper – fresh is best and all the hard work and elbow grease needed to grind it will result in such tasty wings that you’ll be licking your lips and going back in for another and another…”

The Honey Monster chicken wings recipe

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1.25kg chicken wings, tip removed, drums and flat separated

2tsp celery salt

2tsp ground white pepper

1tsp freshly ground black pepper

2tsp garlic granules

2tsp salt

For the sauce:

200g golden caster sugar

100g honey

Zest of 2½ lemons

Large piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large shallots, finely chopped

75g butter

Black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine the wings with the dry spices and let marinate in the fridge for at least one hour or up to four hours – keep chilled until ready to cook. 2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC Gas 4. In a small saucepan bring 150ml water to the boil with the sugar. Add the honey, zest of two lemons and the ginger to the syrup. Allow to reduce slightly until the syrup takes on both flavours. Sieve the syrup into a clean container. 3. Soften the shallots in a small pan with the butter. Pour the syrup onto the softened shallots and mix together. Line up the wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. 4. After 15 minutes, brush the wings with the glaze and continue to cook, applying fresh glaze every five minutes for a further 15 minutes. Reserve some glaze to serve. 5. Put the wings in a bowl and toss with a little reserved glaze ensuring they are fully coated. 6. Arrange in a serving dish and garnish with the remaining lemon zest and five to 10 twists of black pepper.

Wings And Things: Lip-smacking Chicken Recipes by David Turofsky and Ben Ford, photography by Dan Jones, is published by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Available April 30.