Make the most out of your homemade pantry with the recipes from Marisa McClellan’s latest cookbook, The Food In Jars Kitchen – including her Jam-Lacquered Chicken Wings!
[Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book as a gift from the publisher. Further, this post contains affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in and all thoughts and opinions are my own.]
I started making jams and pickles several years ago out of necessity. I wanted to make delicious food, but my full-time job in NYC was consuming my time and energy. I needed to make something that didn’t need to be eaten the same day, or even the next. Something I could hold onto in advance, something I could give away as gifts and bring to potlucks to share. Water bath canning was the answer. I could make batches of jam on my free weekends or late at night when I felt the urge to be creative in the kitchen but didn’t want to eat a batch of cookies the next day.
Of course, I had no idea where to begin at the time. I was intimidated at the prospect of making preserves, of setting up a water bath, sterilizing jars. It all sounded so complex. Thankfully, I always had Marisa McClellan and her amazing blog Food In Jars at my side. From my very first batch of pickles, I’ve looked to Marisa’s recipes for guidance and inspiration. Now, I’m happy to share her latest cookbook – and one of her amazing recipes – with you.
The Food In Jars Kitchen by Marisa McClellan
Marisa McClellan has been blogging about her canning adventures since 2009 from her apartment in Philadelphia. Released in April of this year, The Food In Jars Kitchen: 140 Ways to Cook, Bake, Plate, and Share Your Homemade Pantry is her fourth publication, and answers the question every dedicated home canner is constantly asking: Just what do I do with all of these preserves??
Like her previous books, Food In Jars Kitchen is easy to follow, full of variety, and very personable. Marisa shares an anecdote or helpful tip with every recipe, making it feel like you are chatting along with her in the kitchen. With over thirteen sections of diverse recipe types – from sweet and savory to main courses and cocktails – Food In Jars Kitchen inspires the reader to think outside of the box and use their homemade pantries in creative and delicious ways.
Jam Lacquered Chicken Wings (& Other Delightful Recipes)
In the second half of the cookbook, there are of course sections on using jam and other preserves in cookies, cakes, tarts, breads, and so forth. The recipes all look delicious, but In reviewing the range of recipes, I was most interested in exploring more unusual ways to use my stock of preserves. I specifically tried out three recipes: Jam-Lacquered Chicken Wings, Preserved Lemon Hummus, and the Meyer Lemon Marmalade Martini.
Jam Lacquered Chicken Wings (which I share below with the kind permission of the publisher) are a truly simple but utterly delicious way to use up some of those jams in your pantry. Best with high sugar jams like apricot, peach, or cherry, chicken wings are oven-roasted and then tossed in sticky sweet sauce for a perfectly succulent appetizer. With only five ingredients and 30 minutes, you can have these out for entertaining in no time.
Preserved Lemon Hummus is such an ingenious way to use those preserved lemons you made over the winter and still aren’t sure what to do with. This no fuss recipe combines all the ingredients in a food processor and makes the perfect amount of delicious, just salty-enough spread. I’ve been loving this as a light lunch with veggies lately.
The Meyer Lemon Marmalade Martini is exactly what I look for in an easy new cocktail recipe. The addition of marmalade makes each sip lightly sweet and citrus tart. With the gin (or vodka), orange liquor, and lemon juice, you can up your summer cocktail game without fancy techniques or hard to find ingredients.
From Pantry to Table
I highly recommend The Food In Jars Kitchen for home canners everywhere, and anyone that keeps a well-stocked pantry and desire to use it creatively. Order your copy through the link below, and as you wait for it to arrive, check out Marisa’s recipe for Jam-Lacquered Chicken Wings to hold you over. You won’t regret it.
Jam Lacquered Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup jam (apricot, peach, or cherry)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken wings: If they are still whole, cut each wing into 3 segments: drumette, flat, and tip. You won’t want to use the tips for this recipe, but they make really good stock.
- Heat your broiler to high and position a rack so that it’s 4 to 5 inches away from the element. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Dry the segmented wings with paper towels and arrange them on the lined baking sheet so that each has a little space around it. Evenly dust the wings with salt. Place under the broiler and broil until the wings are evenly browned and look crisp around the edges, flipping once during broiling. Depending on the strength of your broiler, they will need between 15 and 20 minutes.
- While the wings are broiling, combine the jam, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
- Once the wings are browned and crisp, transfer them to the jam mixture and toss to coat.
- Using tongs, return the wings to the pan, leaving the excess jam mixture in the bowl, and broil for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until they sizzle and look satisfyingly sticky.
- Remove the wings from the oven and return them to the reserved jam mixture. Toss them again to coat and serve immediately.
Notes
