Recipe Zone: James Whetlor's coconut chicken

This mouth-watering recipe is suitable for all barbecues and the tandoor.

“Chicken wings are a barbecue standard but, for me, I often find they are too sticky and dripping in too much sweet sauce. These are a bit of an antidote,” says James Whetlor, author of The DIY BBQ Cookbook: How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast.

Coconut chicken wings

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

100ml coconut milk

2-4 fresh bird’s eye chillies (or another fresh chilli as you prefer)

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2tsp light brown sugar

2tsp smoked paprika

3tbsp olive oil

2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges

1kg chicken wings

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. In a blender, whizz the coconut milk, chilli, garlic, sugar, paprika, olive oil and lime juice to a smooth sauce, adding a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and arrange in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and coat in half the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight if possible.

3. When ready to cook, preheat the barbecue to a medium heat.

4. Lay the chicken pieces on the grill over the heat in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin has turned crispy and the meat is cooked through. While cooking, baste the chicken with the reserved marinade two or three times.

5. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

The DIY BBQ Cookbook: How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast by James Whetlor is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now.