La Brea Tar Pit Chicken Wings

Technically, these are not wings. I had a good reason, honest I did! The recipe called for using wings, but taking the skinny end piece off, so, being the food genius in this household, I used drumsticks: more meat, same great taste.

This recipe came from a cookbook one of my daughters got me for Christmas, The Best Recipes of 2005-2006. The title made me wonder, of course, why anyone would be authoritative enough to designate the best recipes, but I'm often accused of overthinking everything. Anyway, what you've been waiting for is not my self-analysis, but.....

LA BREA TAR PIT CHICKEN WINGS

4 pounds chicken drumsticks or wings or drumettes
1 cup soy sauce (use a premium brand)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger.

Heat the soy sauce, wine, sugar and ginger until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the pan, pour the sauce over it and let it marinate an hour, turning once. Bake 45 minutes at 400F, then turn the wings over in the sauce and bake for another hour. The sauce will thicken and look rather tarlike, but it's got a heavenly flavor. Serve with plenty of napkins. 8 of us consumed 6 pounds of these, even with 3 pounds of meatballs and 4 pounds of sausage (plus breadsticks and calzone) on the table. You know they were good.