THIS week Charlotte Seddon has cooked up a recipe for friends to share in their gardens as lockdown restrictions are eased.

The tasty chicken wings, served with blue cheese dip and crudités, take about 45 minutes to prepare, including time to marinate, and will serve between four and six people as a canapé.

Charlotte, who viewers saw reach the semi-finals of the latest series of the BBC’s MasterChef, said: “Now that lockdown is easing and we can visit peoples gardens I thought I would share a very popular dish I like to bring out at a garden party. As guests arrive it’s always good to have some canapes to keep people going whilst the stragglers arrive, and before the main event happens. This blue cheese dip is especially popular with my best friend who has started to cook herself since lockdown and really wanted this recipe, although will she still come round, now she can make the dip herself? Time will tell…

The Leader:

“You may struggle to get the Korean chilli paste in most supermarkets as I can only find it in an Asian supermarket or online. There is a great Asian supermarket on Bumpers Lane in Chester where I buy all my ingredients for dishes from the Far East. If you don’t want to go this effort you can mix two parts tomato ketchup with two parts sriracha chilli sauce.

Ingredients:

Spicy Chicken Wings

2 ½ tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tbsp sesame oil

1-inch piece of ginger (grated)

2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chilli paste) or substitute above

1 tbsp honey

½ Lime

1 tbsp sesame seeds

6 chicken wings

The Leader:

Sweet Chicken Wings

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 garlic clove

¾ tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

6 chicken wings

Blue Cheese Dip

75g Greek yoghurt

75g sour cream

1 ½ tbsp mayonnaise

65g Gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)

½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ Lemon (juice only)

1 tbsp chopped chives

The Leader:

Method:

1. In a bowl mix 2 tbsp soy sauce with 1 tbsp sesame oil and the grated ginger. Massage into the chicken wings and place in the fridge. Marinade the spicy chicken wings for as long as possible but at least an hour

2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and put to one side: ½ tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp sesame oil, 2tbsp of Gochujang, 1 tbsp honey, juice of ½ lime, 1 tbsp sesame seeds

3. When ready to cook pre heat the oven to 180 degrees

4. For the sweet chicken wings mix all the ingredients apart from the chicken wings in a bowl

5. Mix with the 6 chicken wings and lay out on a baking tray

6. Either in a separate baking tray or on the same one but on the other side (don’t forget which side is which) lay the chicken wings which have been marinating in the soy, sesame and ginger

7. Place in the oven for 25 minutes

8. While the chicken wings are cooking make the blue cheese dip by placing all the ingredients apart from the chives into a mini food processor or a tall jug to use with a stick blender. Pulse the ingredients in the processor or with the stick blender for a few seconds until all the ingredients are combined. You don’t want to over mix it as you want some of the blue cheese to still be in chunks

9. Pour the dip into a bowl and mix through ¾ of the chopped chives. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ of the chopped chives on top of the dip

10. Chop and prepare your chosen vegetables for the crudités. Cut them around 4-5inches long and place in a bowl or small glass

11. After 25 minutes remove the chicken which had been marinating in the soy, sesame and ginger and coat it in the spicy chilli paste you made earlier. I find it easier to do this with a pastry brush rather than a spoon

12. Put the chicken wings back in the oven (with the other chicken wings) for a further 10 minutes so they have cooked for 35minutes in total

13. Once cooked remove from the oven and place in bowls, serve with the dip and crudités, such as sliced carrot, celery, courgette, peppers, and mangetout.