Truth is..........in the Chicken or the friends

Chef Shawn sends in the following:

         Soon after I married I realized just how different my friends were from my wife’s. Her friends enjoyed a glass of wine, while mine would rather shotgun a beer. So it was difficult to come up with a fitting menu with such a lack of commonality between the groups. That was until I stumble on to this little jewel of a recipe. On one hand it is nothing more than a chicken wing. On the other hand it is a “spicy, honey glazed, pecan-encrusted, drumette of chicken.” It just depends on who is getting the invitation. Now I am armed and ready when my wife and I want to mix my “how much can ya’ bench” friends with her “what book is Oprah reading this week” group!

A little side note, I had a quiet evening at home all to myself and enjoyed these little jewels with two contrasting beer styles. The first is called Jever and is brew in Germany, with a lighter taste and bitter finish. The second was my stand by beer, Sam Adams Light which has more citrus notes and a fuller body and flavor. Both were great accompaniments, but I think Sam Adams would have to be the winner. The recipe and pictures follow. I also tried them deep fried vs. baked. Well worth it if you can afford the calories. I just tossed them in the sauce after they were fried but still very hot.

· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 1 cup honey
· 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
· 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
· 1/2 cup chopped pecans
· 2 tablespoons ground cayenne powder
· 2 teaspoons garlic powder
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 2 pounds chicken drumettes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Stir in the honey, and cook until the mixture bubbles, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pecans, cayenne and garlic powder. Season the marinade, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Arrange the drumettes on a baking sheet, and brush each with the marinade. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Baste once, halfway through baking time. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot.