Rose Lemonade Sticky Chicken Wings With Sesame, Pistachio & Pomegranate

Using Franklin & Sons Natural Rose Lemonade here as a marinade for these chicken wings to bake until burnished and bronzed is a great combination along with the toasted sesame, crushed pistachio and pomegranate seeds. The spices used in this recipe are all great friends with rose flavour, cardamon, cinnamon and bay leaves. You’ll need lots of napkins to eat these wings. 

OVERVIEW

Serves 4

INREDIENTS

• 1kg chicken wings (or use drumsticks) 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 1 bottle Franklin & Sons Natural Rose Lemonade 
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
• 6 cardamon pods, slightly squashed 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus extra to serve   
• 30g shelled pistachios, crushed 
• 1 small pomegranate, seeds removed  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 210°C/190°C fan. 
2. Simmer the rose lemonade with the garlic, cardamon, cinnamon and olive oil for 5 minutes or so until reduced by half and is a little syrupy. Remove from heat and leave to cool. 
3. Season the chicken all over with 1 tsp salt and plenty of coarsely ground pepper and put to one side.  
4. Mix the rose lemonade mixture into the chicken and stir to coat. 
5. Place the chicken wings on a baking tray in a single layer and bake for about 45 minutes, until chicken is well cooked through, stirring back into the juices a few times to glaze, basting the chicken all over as you do. With around 10 minutes left of the cook time, sprinkle all over with half of the sesame seeds and drizzle over the pomegranate molasses, mixing well to coat. 
6. Remove from the oven and serve topped with the remaining sesame seeds, crushed pistachio, pomegranate seeds with extra pomegranate molasses to serve. 

Lovingly created by 5 O’Clock Apron food writer and chef Claire Thomson