September 15th, 2010 10:38 AM

Dauphin Island plans tasty events

Published: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 5:00 AM

You don’t need me to tell you that the folks on Dauphin Island have not had the best of summers.

 In fact, you could say that they never had a summer at all. It was effectively scuttled on April 20 when the well blew out about 100 miles southwest of the island.

 But coming up just two days after the official end of summer, the tiny spit of land in South Mobile County will be host to a tasty event designed to lift everybody’s spirits.

 The first “Wings and Waves” chicken wing cookoff will be held Sept. 25 on the grounds of the Alabama Deep-Sea Fishing Rodeo.

 It turns out the wing event is just the first of a series of fall events planned by the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce. All the events are designed to lift the spirits and renew interest in the island.

 A pops concert in the park is set for Oct. 9 and a Holiday Arts Festival and a Holiday Taste at the Fort will be Nov. 20.

 Organizers are hoping that the combination of spicy chicken wings and the salt air of the island will infuse folks with a bit of late-season fun.

 Sounds right up my alley.

 The idea for the contest is also simple. “We were heartbroken when we had to cancel the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo this year,” said Gene Fox, vice president for the Jaycee-sponsored fishing event.

 “We all agreed that we wanted to do more to help the island and the folks who live here who have been so good to us over the years,” Fox said.

 Why wings?

 “Well, nobody doesn’t like wings, right?” he said.

 The rules are fairly straightforward and simple. For the general public, you just show up at the rodeo site between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sept. 25 and commence to eating wings.

 The cooks, and so far there are about 11 teams on board, will be trying to come up with the best wing recipe on the island. A team of judges will determine the winner.

 The goal is to land up to 20 teams for this inaugural wing event, Fox said.

 Teams will be competing in three categories: mild wings, hot wings and an intriguing category called freestyle wings. That last one is for self-styled gourmets who can gussie up their wings as fancy as they like.

 There ought to be plenty of wings to go around.

 The folks at Cisco Foods have donated 800 pounds of the tasty appendages to the cause, and the Chamber of Commerce has pledged to buy more if they are needed.

 For non-wing eaters — and there might be a few in the world — Centurylink will be cooking up free hotdogs for the event.

 Tickets for the daylong event are only $10 in advance; they are available at the door, but it will cost you $15. You can get tickets at several locations on Dauphin Island, including Pelican Pub, Mack and DD’s, the Lighthouse Bakery, Sand Box, Marti’s and the Welcome Center. Further inland, you can get tickets at Greer’s Food Stores, O’Daly’s Pub on Dauphin Street downtown and at Second Look on Old Shell Road near University.

 For information on where  to buy tickets, or for general information about the event, call Fox at 251-370-8150.

 Here is a recipe to whet your appetite for some mighty tasty wings. It is from “Webers on the Grill: Chicken & Sides,” a great cookbook from the folks who make Weber grills.

Chinese Chicken Wings with Honey Soy Glaze
4 appetizer servings

Glaze:

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup water

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Rub:

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

12 chicken wings, about 2 pounds total, wing tips removed

Preheat the grill for direct and indirect cooking over medium heat (350-450 degrees).

 In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, vinegar, ginger, five-spice powder and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil.

 Reduce heat and simmer until you have about ½ cup of the liquid, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil.

 In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients. Season the wings evenly with the rub.

 Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the wings over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until golden brown all over, 10-15 minutes; turn the wings once or twice.

 Then move the wings over indirect medium heat and lightly brush them with the glaze. Close the lid and continue grilling until the skin is dark brown and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 10-20 minutes.

 Turn and baste the wings with the glaze once or twice.

 If desired, during the final few minutes, move the wings over direct medium heat to crisp the skin a bit more, turning once or twice. Remove from grill and serve warm.

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