The meal: Chicken wings
Spicy wings are the kind of greasy meat snack you’d expect to find at a cheap buffet. But with fresh ingredients and smart preparation it’s easy to turn them into a muscle-friendly home-made feast, especially if you serve them with fibre-rich sweet potato wedges and vitamin C-packed lime.
The swap: Honey for maple syrup
‘Most chicken wing recipes use honey in the marinade, but maple syrup has a lower GI and contains fewer calories,’ says Gray. ‘It’s also far higher in bone-strengthening manganese.’
The bonus: More calories burned: less inflammation
Paprika contains metabolism-boosting capsaicin, while English mustard contains selenium, which soothes muscle inflammation.
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
12 free-range or organic chicken wings / 100ml rapeseed oil / 1tbsp pure maple syrup / 1tsp English mustard / ½tsp cayenne pepper / 1tbsp hot smoked paprika / 70ml red wine vinegar / Salt and pepper to taste
To make:
- Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a bowl with a spatula until they form a paste.
- Coat the chicken wings thoroughly with the marinade.
- Place the wings on a roasting tray in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.
- Serve with fresh lime slices and roasted sweet potato wedges.
The chef: Adam Gray
Adam Gray is executive chef at Skylon in the Royal Festival Hall, London. He has been a chef for 28 years and has held a Michelin star for 11. He cycles 30km a day, competes as a runner and trains in krav maga.
