by: Luke Indran

According to the late great novelist Mark Twain, "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin". See what exactly Mr Twain meant by cooking up a veritable storm with my traditional Cajun Chicken Wing recipe featured below!

CAJUN CHICKEN WINGS

12 Chicken wings -- tips removed

5 Bay leaves -- crumbled into bits

3/4 teaspoon Caraway seeds

1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander

4 Garlic cloves -- finely

1 1/2 teaspoons Dry mustard

2 teaspoons Paprika -- preferably 3/4 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Brandy

2 tablespoons Fresh lemon or lime juice

Defat the chicken wings by cooking them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large mortar and pestle, grind together the bay leaf bits, caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic, mustard, paprika, thyme and salt for about 10 minutes. Add the brandy and lemon or lime juice to the pulverized herbs and stir into a thick paste. With a pastry brush, cover both sides of each wing with the herb paste. When no more remains in the mortar, squeeze the last few drops from the brush. Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is quite crisp approximately 30 minutes. Takes about an hour to prepare.