Chicken Wings with Mediterranean Potato Salad + Pickled Cucumber

Wash the potatoes and cut into 1” cubes. Place them in a pot and cover with water. Add 1 Tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, turn down to medium to maintain a steady simmer. Boil for about 12 minutes or until the pieces are completely tender, but not falling apart. Check on them often near the end, cooking time will vary depending on the size of your diced cubes.

In another small pot, combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and 1 Tablespoon of salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat, stir the bottom of the pan a few times to make sure the sugar and salt dissolve.

While it’s heating up, slice the cucumber in half. Set half aside for a moment and slice the other half into thin, even slices, about ¼-⅓” thick.

As soon as the liquid is boiling, turn off the heat, and add the cucumber slices. Press them down to get as many as you can completely submerged. Set aside.

On a lined or non-stick baking sheet, toss the chicken wings with 2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and the oregano. Zest the lemon over top. Drizzle with about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat.

Spread into one layer and place in the top 3rd of the oven. Roast for 12 minutes.

While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, dice the tomato into small cubes. Place in a small bowl. Dice the remaining cucumber into the same size cubes. Add to the bowl.

Mince the parsley. Add to the bowl. Set all of this aside for when the potatoes are done.

After 12 minutes, slide the pan out and use tongs to carefully flip the chicken over. Return to the oven for a final 8-12 minutes of cooking.

When the potatoes have boiled until tender, drain them very well. Add them back to the hot pot. Use a wooden spoon to mash and crush them up a bit. It’s not as even when using a spoon vs. a masher, and that’s the point! You actually want a somewhat irregular and chunky result.

Transfer the mash into the bowl with the tomatoes and cucumbers. Juice the lemon into here and add the red wine vinegar. Add the remaining olive oil. Stir to combine. Add salt to taste, likely about a teaspoon but it will vary. The potatoes can be served anywhere from hot to completely cold.

Serve a generous scoop of potato salad and top with wings. Pile some pickles on the side.

Any leftover pickles can be stored for a month in the fridge! If you were careful to only put clean utensils in the pickle liquid (i.e., not your fingers, and not a fork that went into your mouth and back into the pickles) you can add more veggies to this same liquid. More cucumbers, sliced carrots, asparagus, green beans, sliced jalapenos, cauliflower florets, etc. They’ll turn pickled overnight.