“Champagne is always the answer.” - Unknown
Elote street corn has always been a dish I’ve loved, so when Chef Resha from Carnal Dish (find her full recipe here) made Elote Style Chicken Wings, I couldn’t resist trying them at home. myself What is Elote? It is comprised of salt, chili pepper, parmesan cheese, chipotle powder, cumin and dried cilantro.
My chicken wings were seasoned and marinated for about 24 hours, in a variety of herbs and spices like sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and cumin. On the day of cooking them, I seasoned them heavily with the Elote seasoning. Trader Joe’s has an amazing blend already packaged that I used on the wings. Then, we smoked them for a few hours, ensuring each wing got an amazing char on them. Once, the wings were finished in the smoker, I garnished each piece with parmesan cheese, jalapeños, and extra Elote seasoning, of course.
The smokiness of the chicken paired with the Elote seasoning, and spiciness of the jalapeños truly made this dish a winner. Today, I am pairing these wings with one of my favorite cocktails, that encompasses Brut Sparkling Champagne, and Tequila.
One of my favorite drinks to create at home is a Sparkling Champagne & Tequila Cocktail. It includes the following ingredients:
Casamigos Reposado (or Blanco if you prefer)
Brut Sparkling Champagne
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Splash of Simply Limeade
Casamigos Reposado has notes of:
Dried fruits
Spicy oak
With a touch of Agave
The champagne used in this cocktail has notes of:
Citrus
Green apple
Subtle hints of brioche
Both spirits paired so lovely with one another, and adding the fresh squeezed lime juice and limeade really bring this cocktail together.
This cocktail is perfect for grilled and smoked spicy meats during your summer backyard BBQ. The spiciness and smokiness of these compliment the citrus elements in this champagne and tequila drink perfectly.
Elote smoked chicken wings garnished with cilantro, jalapeños, and parmesan cheese.
XO, Analise
