By Renee Cafaro
Legend. Icon. Fierce. These are some of the words that immediately come to mind when Dolly Parton is mentioned. I remember the first time I saw her as the no-nonsense, sassy, curvy Doralee in 9 to 5, I was forever changed. Many in the plus community see her as a trailblazer with all of her confidence and glitz. Tess Holliday even has an homage to Dolly tattooed to her arm! Still relevant today, Dolly Parton performed to sold out crowds in 2016, her most recent album release debuted at #1 on iTunes and she is even nominated this month for a Grammy with her duet with Pentatonix !
So with all that Ms. Parton is known for, who knew she was also an amazing cook? SLiNK is thrilled to have gotten one of Dolly’s own recipes to share with you all… just in time for the Super Bowl! What could be more perfectly All-American than the Super Bowl and chicken wings by the southern sweetheart herself? So wow your guests this game day… Dolly style!
Dolly Parton’s Barbecued Chicken Wings
(excerpted from Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s Cookbook from her Imagination Library )
Canola oil, for the baking sheets
3 pounds chicken wings, separated at the joints
Cola Barbecue Sauce
2 Scallions, green and white parts, chopped
Eat these with your hands and when you’re done, lick every finger to be sure you don’t waste a bit of the sauce. These wings are good ‘n; messy, which is the way they oughta be, and you’ll never have any left over, so make a double batch if you’re planning to bring them to the picnic or potluck.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with canola oil.
- Arrange the wings on the baking sheets, taking care not to overlap. Bake, shaking the pan twice during cooking or turning the wings with tongs, until they are deeply browned, about 20 minutes Brush each wing with the sauce and bake 5 to 8 minutes more. Arrange the wings on a platter and garnish with the scallions. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lots of napkins.
COLA BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes 1 ½ Cups
1 Tablespoon butter ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 small onion, minced 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove 2 table spoons bottles steak sauce
¾ cup cola ½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup ketchup Salt
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the cola, ketchup, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire, steak sauce and pepper. Simmer for 215 minutes Season to taste with salt. The sauce will keep for 1 week in a container with a tight-fitting lid.