When you land at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad, the main terminal has a food court with the usual chains. Skip it. Walk out and all the way to the left until you see the yellow sign pointing to the Local Food Court, then cross over.
Out of Arrivals, the yellow sign points the way.
That's the outside food court, where the local vendors are serving local dishes, and the first one you reach, right on the corner, is Paulina.
Every time I fly back, that's our first stop. We stock up on doubles from Paulina.
If you haven't had doubles, it's two soft flatbreads called bara folded around curried chickpeas. We order ours "slight pepper and everything," and everything includes the tamarind sauce. The flavors melt together so well that eating just one isn't possible.
Paulina making doubles at the stand.
That tamarind sauce is what I kept thinking about after I flew home. Tangy Ember Fury is my version of that feeling.
What's in the bottle
Tamarind leads, with its natural sweet-sour tang. Brown sugar rounds it out. Garlic and fresh culantro keep it bright. Culantro is not cilantro. It's a longer, tougher leaf with a stronger, more savory flavor, and in Trinidad it's called chadon beni. Then scotch bonnet brings the heat. It flares up front and fades fast, so the tang is what stays.
One way to use it: Tamarind Wings on the Grill
I've grilled wings with Tangy Ember before, and I'll be honest: I winged it (no pun intended). So treat the amounts below as a starting point and trust your own taste.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Your favorite seasoning blend, to taste
- 1/3 cup Tangy Ember Fury
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Steps
- Preheat your clamshell grill.
- Pat the wings dry, then toss with the oil and your seasoning blend until every wing is coated. I season until the ancestors tell me to stop. If you want a number, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of blend and adjust.
- Cook in a single layer, in batches if needed, with the lid closed. Start checking around 10 minutes. They're done when the skin is browned and crisp and the thickest part reads at least 165°F.
- While they cook, whisk the Tangy Ember Fury, butter, and lime juice in a large bowl.
- Toss the hot wings in the bowl until coated, and serve right away with extra sauce for dipping.
The sauce has sugar in it, so it burns on hot plates, which is why the glaze goes on after the wings come off. No clamshell? An outdoor grill works too: cook on the cooler side, then finish over direct heat for a couple of minutes per side.
Tangy Ember is the newest Wild Fury to join the collection. Want recipes like this, new sauces, and behind the scenes from the kitchen? Rock with the Fury below.