If you can think of a better appetizer to serve a bunch of people who love spicy, but not too spicy meat, I would appreciate your input. But for my money, the best hot appetizer is a chicken wing that has been scantily dressed with butter and hot sauce. There is just something soul satisfying about munching on one of these beauties. And you want tingly lips and messy fingers? These will work for you every time.
I received (actually begged and pleaded for) this easy and fabulous recipe from our dear friends Robin and Laurie. Of course I had to mess with the recipe just a tad, but the gist of the recipe is straight from Laurie the indisputable “Buffalo Wings Queen” herself. This amazing woman thinks nothing of deep fat frying 30 pounds (you read it right) of these little darlings for the Super Bowl party she and her husband host every year. (And you thought I was slightly mad for some of the crazy cooking projects I take on!) But let me tell you, these are the best wings you will ever taste. And I can’t really share any kind of history about these spicy wings because there are no substantiated stories available. I do however know for a fact that buffalos don’t have wings, so at least the many stories that reference Buffalo, New York as the birth place of “Buffalo Wings” are probably correct. Well regardless of who made them or named them, I say “well done”! So if you would like your friends to say the same thing to you, fix them a batch of these incredibly tasty morsels and see how fast they fly off the plate. Just don’t think a small amount when you do your menu planning. You will have to sprout wings yourself and fly away quickly if you tease your guests with just one wing per person. You know the old saying, “bet you can’t eat just one”, well “wings” are like potato chips in that regard, only worse!
- 5-8 lbs. chicken wings
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- granulated garlic
- ½ c. butter, melted
- 1 (12-oz.) bottle Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (no substitution allowed)
- juice of 1 lemon
Cut chicken wings into three segments. Discard wing tips (or save for chicken stock). Place remaining 2 segments on rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until the wings are very brown and almost over done. Meanwhile melt butter in a large bowl; add hot sauce and lemon juice. When wings have finished baking, add to bowl with hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately. If you want to make the wings ahead of time to serve later that day or the next, bake as above, remove from oven, cool, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, warm wings in microwave. Add to bowl with hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated.
Note: I know, I know! Buffalo Wings are plebian. Who cares? They are so, so good and everyone loves them. They are also protein rich. So especially when your guests will be drinking, high protein foods that taste divine help entice your guests to eat more food rather than taking all their calories in the form of alcohol. Additional Note: I have tried serving the wings with blue cheese dip, carrots, and celery trying to imitate a restaurant presentation. Forget it! All my guests want are the wings!