Throughout the Caribbean, citrus juice is commonly used as an acidic base for marinades. Depending on the region, Caribbean cooks prepare and use marinades that begin with limes, lemons and even sour oranges. This recipe, which comes from the Dominican Republic, is based on lime juice. The marinade, which is a combination of lime juice, dark rum, jalapenos and soy sauce imparts a deep and spicy flavor to these wings.

This recipe requires a long marinade, so plan to begin the day before you wish to serve the wings. When you are ready to cook them, you may do so over a hot grill or, if you prefer, they can be lightly breaded and deep fried.

This recipe makes enough wings to serve ten people. If you are cooking for a smaller or larger crowd, feel free to halve or double the ingredients accordingly.

Note: chicken wings may be purchased intact or already separated. You can often find the separated variety in the frozen foods section of your supermarket. If you buy them fresh, they're likely to require trimming. If you have purchased intact wings, the wing tips should be removed and thrown away. Then separate each wing at the joint to make two pieces.


Dominican Style Chicken Wings

1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup dark rum
5 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
water
10 pounds chicken wings

Place the wings in a large, non-reactive bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Set aside.

In a smaller non-reactive bowl, prepare the marinade: combine the lime juice, dark rum, jalapeno peppers and soy sauce and whisk to combine well.

Pour this marinade mixture over the chicken wings. Add enough water to the marinade to just cover the wings. Stir the wings to incorporate the water into the lime mixture.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the wings for 24 hours.

When you are ready to cook the wings, drain off the marinade. Place the wings on a length of paper towels to dry thoroughly.

If you are grilling the wings, place them over hot coals or on a gas grill for about 5 minutes or until they are cooked thoroughly. Remove them to a warm platter and serve.

If you prefer to fry the wings, dredge them lightly in flour and fry them in hot oil for about 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove them to a warm platter to serve.

Serves about 10.