Recipe: Spicy Cornell Chicken Barbecue pairs with Semi-dry Riesling

A staple in the Finger Lakes area of New York, this chicken is a vinegar-based creation of a professor at Cornell University in the late 1940s. This spicy version was developed by Silver Thread’s winemaker Paul Brock, and works especially well with chicken wings.

Adapted from Dr. Baker’s Original Recipe

Serves 4-6

For the Marinade:

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon marjoram

¼ teaspoon onion powder

2.5-3 lb. bone-in chicken pieces

For finishing:

1 cup Frank’s Red Hot

 

  1. To make the marinade, whisk egg in a medium size bowl. Whisk in oil, then whisk in remaining ingredients.
  2. Put the marinade in a 1 gallon zipper bag, add chicken pieces and seal tightly. Marinate for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.
  3. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Cook the chicken pieces over indirect heat* until cooked through (165 degrees F).  Turn chicken pieces every 10 minutes during cooking, basting with marinade before and after turning each time.  Have an instant-read thermometer on hand to check doneness.  Different size pieces will be finished at different times.  Cook time also depends on the temperature of your grill.
  4. Pour remaining marinade into a large saucepan with 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low, add chicken pieces to the sauce and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

 

* To set up a gas grill for indirect grilling, turn the outside two burners to the “medium” or “medium-low” position, and turn the inside burner (or burners, if there are more than one) off.