Packed with the hard-won wisdom of decades spent cooking for family and friends, two of Australia’s best-organised women share their most delicious recipes with tips on how to cut corners, minimise work and maximise taste and fun while on holidays. The sensible, practical and unfussy philosophy of Leigh Sales and Gwen Blake will look after your wellbeing and protect your downtime at home or on vacation, with dozens of answers to the perennial question, ‘What’s for dinner?’

Leigh’s Sticky Chicken Wings

Makes 8–10 serves, depending on how many wings everyone scoffs

Takes 10 minutes prep, 2 hours marinating, 1 hour 10 minutes cook

Leigh says : Like bolognaise, everyone has their own variation on sticky chicken wings. My little suckers disappear
almost the second you put them on the table.

Shopping List

Bring from home:

Combine in a jar:
1 tbsp brown sugar
200 ml GF soy sauce or tamari
200 g (approximately 2/3 cup) honey
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
5 cm piece ginger, finely chopped
2 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

Buy at your destination

2 kg chicken wings
Spring onions and red chilli, to garnish (optional)

Before you leave home, make the marinade. Put the brown sugar, soy sauce or tamari, honey, garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor andblend to combine for 3 minutes. Pour into a jar, ready to take away with you.

For an added extra, toast the sesame seeds and bring in a small jar.

On the day, place the chicken wings in a large bowl with the marinade and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.

Use tongs to place the chicken wings skin-side down on the trays in a single layer, close enough together that they’re touching. Don’t just tip themonto the tray because you don’t want them to end up broiling in the liquid marinade, you want them to roast.

Spoon a little of the marinade left in the container on the top of the chicken wings – again, not too much.

Roast for 30 minutes, then flip the wings over. Baste with a little marinade and roast for another 20 minutes. Turn over again.
If needed, baste with more marinade, otherwise cook for a final 20 minutes.

If you choose, you can sprinkle these with some toasted sesame seeds, diced spring onions and finely diced red chilli if you want to make them look a little fancier!

This is an extract from The Holiday Kitchen
Mouth-watering recipes that ease the mental load of cooking on holidays & at home by Leigh Sales and Gwen Blake. Published by Simon & Schuster Australia (October 27, 2026)