IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Blu Que Island Grill

By Observer Staff
| 4:00 a.m. May 7, 2014

Blue Que Island Grill began as a smokehouse on Siesta Key in 2000.

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This week we went in the kitchen at Blu Que Island Grill with General Manager Maureen Hazlett and chef Kent Dalton while he prepares the restaurant's award-winning Asian smoked chicken wings, which are rubbed with a special spice blend, smoked and fried, with a crispy exterior that holds the flavor of Asian wing sauce.

Blue Que Island Grill began as a smokehouse on Siesta Key in 2000. The restaurant's menu has evolved to include fresh, locally-caught fish and locally-grown produce.

Blu Que Island Grill, which is walking distance of the beach, has happy hour specials from noon to 6 p.m. daily and half-price appetizer special from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

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Scroll down for an instructional video on how to prepare the dish.

Asian smoked chicken wings

Chicken wings ingredients:
10 chicken wings
Paprika
Brown sugar
Various spices (to taste)

Asian wing sauce ingredients:
Tiger Sauce (Asian BBQ sauce)
Soy
Sesame oil
Ginger (tiny cube cut)
Cilantro
Salt
Sesame seeds
Green curry paste
Butter

Asian wing sauce preparation:
Experiment with each listed ingredient to taste to create your own "secret" wing sauce.

Asian smoked chicken wings preparation:
Rub wings with your favorite dry rub. Place in smoker lit with fruit wood at 220 degrees for 1 1⁄2 hours. Remove from the smoker and allow the wings to cool. Deep fry the wings for crispness, and toss them in the Asian wing sauce or your own favorite sauce. Garnish with pickled jalapenos for an extra kick!