When steam ovens first came to market over 20 years ago it was a learning curve to learn how to cook in one. When I taught steam oven classes in those early days people would always ask, is there a cookbook? Of course I understood people needed guidance, but I encouraged everyone to be adventurous and try everything, after all people had been cooking with steam for centuries.
The Gaggenau steam oven I was working with featured modes for steaming, baking and roasting but also introduced us to techniques that were being used in professional kitchens including Low Temperature Cooking and Sous Vide. Despite some early blunders, Low Temperature Cooking has become one of my favorite cooking methods for cooking lean tender cuts of meat, and that’s the method I like to use for preparing chicken wings.
Slow Roasting for Succulent Chicken Wings
Chicken wings can be baked at a moderate or a high temperature with good results but cooking them at a low temperature and finishing the cooking with high heat is the best way to keep the meat succulent. One of the reasons chicken wings have so much flavor and remain succulent is because they are cooked on the bone and meats cooked on the bone cook more evenly and retain more moisture.
High heat is crucial to crisp the skin but too much high heat can also dry out the meat, so a combination of low and high heat gives a good balance. Even though I usually prepare chicken wings in my steam oven, they can also be prepared in a convection oven using the same technique with comparable results.
When wings are prepared this way in a steam oven the pan will collect some cooking juices. These flavorful juices should be poured off before the high heat cooking phase but don’t discard them, they are wonderful to add to your cooking.
Creating a Crisp Crust for Slow Roasted Chicken Wings
The slow roasting process basically cooks the wings so the final step is to cook them at high heat to crisp the skin. I like to complete the cooking in the convection oven, so I can use the steam oven to steam some vegetables for salads to accompany the wings.
For this final stage of cooking, arrange the oven racks so one rack is in the upper third of the oven near the broil element. Change the oven mode to Convection Roast 450 degrees and when the oven comes to temperature, toss the wings with some melted butter and vegetable oil, slide the tray into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. If additional crisping is desired change the oven mode to Broil Hi or 500 degrees and broil for 5 minutes.
Of course the wings will taste delicious on their own but for added flavor a sauce can be added to the sizzling wings when they come out of the oven. It’s best to wait until the wings have finished cooking to add the sauce to avoid the sauce burning during the final high heat cooking.
Steam ovens are amazing tools that can truly simplify cooking so if you are looking for more ideas for easy delicious steam oven meals check back to learn how to prepare Lion's Head Meatballs.
Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast