On my first ever night in Nairobi, we went to dinner at Talisman, to discuss all our plans for the show. They insisted I get the Dawa cocktail, as it is a traditional Kenyan welcome drink. It is also considered medicinal, and everyone has their own special way of making it. I was blown away and intrigued by this mix. Sweet, but also floral, robust, and with really elegant clarity. The experience stayed with me and I knew I was going to create a recipe around it at some point. How thrilling to glaze your chicken in something that honours both visitors and wellness? Perfect for entertaining… however, you may like this one so much, that you end up rationing portions for your guests!

Ingredients

2kg (4lb 4oz) chicken wings

½ cup honey

¼ cup lime or lemon juice

1 cup vodka

Salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Season the chicken wings generously with salt, black pepper and olive oil. Bake them in the oven at 250*C for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy. 
2. While the wings are baking, place the Dawa, i.e. the honey, lime juice and vodka in a pan and cook slowly, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 
3. Once the wings are ready, place them on your platter of choice and drizzle over the sweet, sticky Dawa. Serve with a side salad, or veggies, or chips. 

 

 

This recipe is from Season 1 Episode 2 of Minjiba Entertains, commissioned by The Africa Channel and showing on RealTime DSTV Channel 155, Emirates in-Flight Entertainment, Amazon Prime, and Demand Africa.