Aside from shrimp and grits, I think that it’s safe to say that smothered turkey wings scream Charleston on a plate. And everyone here makes them differently, including my mom. Growing up, she would always pressure cook the turkey wings until they were falling apart and then she’d smother them with lots of sliced green peppers and onions. We always had them served with white rice, tostones, and sliced avocado.

It’s almost as if my mom took a traditional Charleston meal that she learned from friends and put her Puerto Rican twist on it. Wow, the very same thing I do now. Ha! Love to see it. But me? Honestly? I love my turkey wings really saucy and falling off the bone with a nice, thick gravy that gets sopped up in the rice. What can I say? I’m a country, island girl through and through: from Puerto Rico to James Island.

There are technically three parts to this recipe: brining the wings, roasting the wings, and then making the gravy. The gravy can be prepped and started while the turkey is roasting. And you could also easily brine and roast the turkey wings the day before; but I didn't. When I made this at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and shutdown, I wanted to spend my entire day in the kitchen because I was so stressed and anxious.

Cooking low and slow helps me stay a little more balanced given the circumstances happening around me that are out of my control. It’s my way of unplugging and providing myself with a little self-care. This recipe does take quite some time, but let’s be honest: anything smothered in a homemade gravy is going to be worth your time and effort. Trust me on this one. And as of right now, let’s face it: we have the time and frankly the stress, that might drive some of us into the kitchen to feed others.

Smothered Turkey Wings

Serves: 4

Cook time: 2.5-3 hours

1.5lbs turkey wings, chopped

If you can’t find turkey wings already chopped by the butcher, that’s totally fine. Just make sure that the turkey wings will fit into the bowls and pans that you plan on using.

Place the chopped wings in a large mixing bowl of lukewarm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir well, allowing the salt to dissolve, and let them brine for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Once the 30 minutes has passed, remove the chopped turkey wings from the brine and pat very dry with a paper towel. Then, place them on a parchment or aluminum foil lined sheet pan and liberally drizzle with olive oil. Then, season them with a blend of:

Pinch of kosher salt

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp granulated garlic powder

2 tsp dried tarragon

2 tsp ground sage

Honestly, just make sure the turkey is nice and seasoned. If you don’t feel like measuring out the ingredients here, that’s your business. Eyeball it until it looks like the photo above, okay? Haha! Also, I hardly used any kosher salt at this stage because we already brined the turkey, remember? You don’t want it too salty! Since the same flavors are going to be reinforced in the gravy, we can skip on the salt for the moment and get back to it later. Roast the seasoned turkey wings for 35 minutes or until skin is crisp. Remove and set aside.

Onion Gravy

Olive oil

3 small yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 celery stalks, diced

Kosher salt

Black pepper

3 small bay leaves

2 tsp ground sage

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp garlic paste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, more if needed

1 small bundle fresh thyme, tied up with twine or string

5 cups homemade vegetable stock or water*

Valentina hot sauce, to taste

*Note: if you don’t have homemade vegetable stock on hand, you can easily substitute store-bought but make sure it’s low-sodium.

In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan and over medium heat, sauté the onions and celery until translucent and cooked down. Sprinkle with a large pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Then, add the bay leaves, ground sage, and smoked paprika. Toast the spices until they’re fragrant, about 2 minutes. Next, add the garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the bundle of tied up thyme and stir.

Next, evenly sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stirring well, cook for another 5 minutes. Here, you want to get a nutty smell from the flour and make sure you’re cooking out that raw flour taste. Next, gradually add the water or broth, stirring in one cup at a time. This will avoid you getting lumps in your gravy! Bring to a boil.

Then, gently place the roasted turkey wings into the gravy. Cover with lid and turn heat down to a simmer.

Simmer on medium-low for at least 1.5 hours or up to 2, stirring occasionally and skimming off and discarding any excess fat that rises to the top. Taste and adjust any kosher salt, black pepper, or any other seasoning used in the gravy itself. Add a few glugs of Valentina hot sauce to taste. I prefer Valentina and that’s what I always keep at home, but use what you have on hand.

Once the turkey meat is almost falling off the bone, remove the thyme bundle and discard. Serve with the smothered turkey wings with steamed white rice and my favorite kind of cabbage. Hit it with a little more hot sauce and go to work. You won’t even need a fork, I promise. I ate mine with a spoon.

¡Buen provecho!