Dun Deal

Dun Dun's Hot Wings
8510 Wilkinsville Rd
Millington, TN 38053
(901) 872-0348

I work in Millington and the town has its fair share of places to eat. Some are great. Some, not so much. I was born out here on the Navy base and the area has shrunk quite a bit since then. The base isn't as active as it once was and several establishments have gone out of business over the years. El Toro Taco is about the only place that is still open that I can remember from my childhood and it hasn't changed a bit. North on Hwy 51, towards Munford, boasts a lot of new businesses in small shopping centers. Most of our choices of places to eat are out this way and this is where we discovered my next adventure.

Dun Dun's Hot Wings is off Wilkinsville, behind Tops BBQ and next to Walmart on Hwy 51. A few coworkers scoped it out before I made my journey there and said it was excellent. They brought me back a menu one day and as I looked through it, I noticed a large selection of food at very reasonable prices. I then noticed their hot wings selection which come available as either split, party wings or whole wings. Since I am a sucker for the whole wing, flapper included, I knew what I would be ordering. I then saw their sauce selections and my eye glued to the "Suicide" written on the menu. This was already a Dun deal in my mind so I gathered up my coworkers last Friday and we made our way out there for lunch.

While placing our orders, I explained to the kind folks at Dun Dun's that I love my wings as hot as they can make them. It didn't seem to be a problem to them so they got busy in the back while we patiently waited in the dining area. My coworkers all ordered cheese burgers while I ordered a 5 whole wing plate coated in Suicide sauce. When it was all brought out to us, the first thing I noticed was how they arranged the wings on the plate; all lined up and looking like they were being submitted for judging at a hot wing contest. Ironically, I'm considered amongst several people for being a hot wing judge myself and I was already marking 10s in my mind. The next thing I noticed was the humongous size of these hot wings. A 5-piece would clearly be enough food for lunch. Add in the garlic seasoned fries and it's enough for dinner.

I tore into my first wing and feasted, getting sauce all over my face due to the size of the wing. I didn't break a sweat instantly but I knew it was coming. The sauce has a great flavor but is a little deceiving because of all the crushed reds within. I found it becoming more powerful as I indulged in the 3rd wing. Then the sweat began and the race was on. 2 huge whole wings later, I was stuffed and burning up pretty good. I finished off the fries and dipped the rolls in my remaining ranch dressing to try and cool off the heat. The kind staff was curious if they were hot enough for me. They could always be hotter, but for lunch, this was perfect. Several minutes and napkins later, the burn was gone and we were on our way back to work. I now have a new place close by that will slowly become one of my favorite spots to grab a great meal at a good price.

Jolokia Mania

CaJohns Fiery Foods Jolokia Salsa and Sauce 10
http://cajohns.com

I was given a few sauces as a gift last year by a friend and was really impressed with them. See post here: http://www.burnmymouth.com/2010/05/hot-lava.html I then made a mental note to try more CaJohns products in the future. They have several to choose from and seem to be adding new stuff all the time. After joining a few forums and talking to several other hot sauce lovers out there, I found my next CaJohns experiment. Being a huge fan of the ghost pepper, I decided to purchase a salsa and a sauce from their jolokia line of products. I don't believe I could have chosen any better.

The Jolokia salsa is incredible. To me, it is hot enough to set off a bowl of cheese dip and mild enough to enjoy by itself. It isn't something that will rip your face off like Death By Salsa. http://www.burnmymouth.com/2010/04/mail-bomb.html It is extremely potent salsa, however, and is not for the weak tongue. Upon first taste, it comes off very sweet but then the heat follows to make a perfect mixture of the two. The ghost peppers give it the right amount of heat for it to be bearable and without the addition of any pepper extracts, it has a really good flavor. I've found it to be an excellent compliment to cheese dip and an even better topping on a taco. After about half a dozen dips with some chips, even the most hardcore heat connoisseur will break a sweat.

The Jolokia Sauce 10 was up next. I first read the label which states this sauce was made as a CaJohns 10th anniversary celebration product. I was really excited to try it because of the great reviews it has received and after learning it was a special addition, the intensity grew. Looking at the sauce, it has an inconsistent texture which came out of the bottle slightly thin but with thick, smaller chunks. I figured then that it would make an awesome spread on a sandwich so I fried up a chicken breast and gave it a dab. I was instantly blown away with the flavor. The heat hits you instantly in a sweet tang then the rest of the sauce's spices kick in, leaving an incredible flavor. The sauce is a lot hotter than the salsa, so a small bottle should go a long way. Just like the salsa, CaJohn doesn't use any extracts which will rob a sauce of any good flavor it may have. After all the sauces I have acquired over the years, this one has already become one of my top favorites.

To summarize, CaJohns continues to marvel me with their originality and creative flavors. I will continue to monitor any new products that they release and suggest that any hot sauce lover do the same!

Japanese Curry Recipe

For several years now, I have been making Japanese curry with S&B roux packs. See recipe here: http://www.burnmymouth.com/2010/07/s-japanese-curry-recipe.html Recently I have been unable to find it. I haven't seen it at any grocery store for some time and Asian markets seem to be closing down around town. I ventured online to defend this, searching for a from-scratch recipe. After trying out a few, I have created my own which meets the Burn My Mouth standard. Enjoy!

Roux:
*3 tablespoons butter
*1/4 cup flour
*2 tablespoons curry powder
*1/2 tablespoon pepper powder (I use habanero or ghost but cayenne is good for a mild curry)
*1/2 tablespoon black pepper
*1 tablespoon tomato paste
*1 tablespoon worcestershire

Curry:
*2 teaspoons canola oil
*1 white onion, sliced and peeled in quarters
*2 garlic cloves, sliced long ways
*2 lbs chicken, cut into chunks or shrimp, peeled and whole
*4 cups water
*2 carrots, sliced into round chunks
*2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into square chunks
*2 teaspoons salt
*1 teaspoon curry powder

In a large pot, heat up oil. Add sliced onion and garlic. Saute for about 20 minutes on medium low, stirring constantly. Be sure not to burn the garlic or onions. Slow and low is the key. Once garlic is golden brown, add chicken and stir until all chicken is white on each side. Add water and bring to a boil over medium high. Add carrots, potatoes, salt and curry powder. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on medium low, stirring occasionally.

In a small sauce pan, it's time to make the roux. Melt the butter on medium low and whisk in the flour until you have a thick paste. Add the curry powder, pepper powder, black pepper, tomato paste and worcestershire. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Once potatoes are soft enough to cut with ease, it's time to add the roux. Reduce heat to low. Add a small amount of roux at a time to the curry boil, stirring constantly until all the roux has been added. Keep stirring until all the roux has dissolved, leaving a thick, dark yellow curry mix. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Tips:
Do not cook any of this with high heat. The onions, garlic and flour will burn really easy. Cook your rice after whitening the chicken, which takes about 20 minutes. Heat levels depend on types of pepper powder used. Add mozzarella cheese to your rice for additional awesomeness.