Chicken wings aren't just for the Super Bowl. Cheap, versatile, and tasty, they are the perfect summer party snack and easy to cook on the grill. "They are very social," John Stage, pit master and owner of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Harlem, tells Yahoo! Shine. "Great to plop in the middle of a table and let people go at it." Stage says Buffalo wings are his best-selling appetizer year-round.
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We talked to some amazing "wing men" -top chefs from around the country-and asked them to reveal their favorite recipes. The key is choosing zesty seasonings and cooking until crisp and deeply colored.
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Chicken wings are divided into three sections. The wing tip, which is the small, pointy end; the flat, which is the middle joint; and the drumette, the meaty part where the wing connects to the bird. Most recipes just use the flat and the drumette, but don't discard the tips. You can save them to make chicken stock.
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Doug Psaltis, executive chef at Bub City in Chicago smokes chicken wings over hickory wood and then deep fries them at his restaurant, but has an ultra simple home recipe that lends itself to many different flavor profiles. "Season with your favorite dry rub and then slow cook for about two hours in a 200-250 degree oven until they are crispy," he tells Yahoo! Shine. "Toss with hot sauce or barbecue sauce and serve." It doesn't get easier, or tastier, than that.
"Homeschooled" Barbeque Chicken Wings
John Stage, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
"Most places fry their wings according to the original Buffalo recipe, but we smoke ours," says Stage. "You can make them hot or mild by changing the rub and the sauce you slather on at the end. We serve them with the traditional fixings: blue cheese dressing and celery sticks."
Ingredients
3 ½ to 4 pounds chicken wings (about 12 - 16 wings)
3 tablespoons of Red Rub (see recipe below)
2 cups BBQ sauce (you can purchase Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce online)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove wing tip with a sharp knife but leave drumette and flat intact, discard tip or save for stock. Season wings with rub. Oil the bottom of a metal sheet pan. Lay wings on pan, don't overcrowd. Place in oven and cook approximately 30 minutes until wings are 160-165 degrees (test with a meat thermometer). Remove from oven and turn the broiler on high. Coat wings with about one cup of BBQ sauce. Place skin side up and broil on a rack about six inches from heat source for approximately five minutes or until skin and sauce start to caramelize. Flip wings and broil for about another four minutes. Flip again to blister and char skin. Remove from broiler and toss with remaining sauce if desired or serve on side.
Red Rub
¼ cup smoked paprika
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar in the raw or turbinado sugar (brown sugar will also work)
2 tablespoons dark chili powder
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 ½ tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. You will have leftover rub, store in an airtight container.
Rosemary Smoked Wings
Chef Doug Psaltis, Bub City
"These are a light, crispy take on chicken wings," says Psaltis. "They have an herbaceous, garlicky flavor, and the fresh lemon juice adds an awesome acidity."
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
4 cloves of minced garlic4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ cups apple juice
1 cup hickory smoked wood chips
1 fresh lemon
Separate wings with a sharp knife between the joints. Use only the drumette and the flat, discard tip or save for stock. Mix fresh rosemary with minced garlic, black pepper, and kosher salt. Toss wings with garlic mix in a large bowl and refrigerate. Meanwhile, soak two cups of hickory smoked wood chips in apple juice for 25 minutes. Light charcoal grill to medium heat (about 225-250 degrees) and pile coals on one side. Once grill is hot and smoking, place soaked wood chips onto the coals. Let the chips sit and heat up for five minutes. Arrange the chicken wings on the half of grill without coals. Cover grill and let smoke for about 25 minutes with the cover on. Turn the wings over and let smoke for another 15 minutes. Remove from grill, squeeze with fresh lemon, and enjoy.
Kung Pao Chicken Wings
Former "Top Chef All-Star" Dale Talde, owner Talde and Pork Slope, Brooklyn
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
Kung Pao Sauce (see recipe below)
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (see recipe below)
Wing Batter (See recipe below)
Garnishes: chopped peanuts, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro
Kung Pao Sauce
¼ cup rice wine*
¼ cup rice vinegar*
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
¼ cup plus two tablespoons sweet chili sauce*
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons chili bean sauce*
1 tablespoon sesame oil*
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Schezuan oil (recipe below)
Schezuan Oil
2 tablespoons annatto seed**
1 each star anise**
1 tablespoon Schezuan peppercorn**
2 cups vegetable oil
Wing Batter
2 cups rice flour*
1 cup water
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
1 packet of ranch powder
*Ingredients can be purchased at an Asian food market or online at asiansupermarket365.com.
**Spices can be purchased at Whole Foods or online at thespicehouse.com or penzeys.com.
Mix rice flour and water until smooth for batter. Rinse and dry chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Remove wing tip with a sharp knife but leave drumette and flat intact, discard tip or save for stock. Heat oil to 325 degrees in a heavy, four-quart pot (test with an oil thermometer). Don't fill pot more than halfway with oil. Dredge wings in wing batter and fry until golden brown. Do not crowd. Remove wings from oil and drain excess oil off wings on paper towel-lined plates then toss in kung pao sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and sliced scallions. Serve with buttermilk ranch on the side.
Sweet and Spicy Thai Wings
Brooke Vosika, executive chef, The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston
Ingredients
3 dozen chicken wings
Marinade:
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup sesame soil
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup honey
½ cup fresh grated ginger
½ medium minced onion
¼ cup Chinese chili garlic paste (optional)*
½ cup rice wine vinegar*
3 limes, juiced
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon allspice
2 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder*
1 bunch chopped cilantro leaves (reserve half for garnish)
*Ingredients can be purchased at an Asian food market or online at asiansupermarket365.com.
Combine all marinade ingredients and pour mixture over chicken; let sit for in a large, covered bowl or Tupperware container for two hours or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Place wings and about three-quarters of marinade in roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked but not dry. Flip wings three or four times to coat and glaze wings. Remove from oven. Reduce leftover marinade in a saucepan until thick, then toss with the wings in a large bowl. Place on a platter and garnish with remaining cilantro.
Classic Buffalo Wings
Michael Ferraro, chef/partner Delicatessen and Macbar, Soho, NYC
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Mix all-purpose flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Heat oil to 300 degrees in a heavy, four-quart pot (test with an oil thermometer). Don't fill pot more than halfway with oil. . Dredge chicken in mixture, allow to fully coat chicken and shake off excess flour.
Fry for 8 minutes, remove and set aside. Toss wings and drumettes with Hot Sauce (see recipe below) and pile on a platter, serve with Blue Cheese Fondue (recipe below) and garnish with celery leaves.
Hot Sauce
½ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon sambal*
1 tablespoon Sriracha*
½ tablespoon butter
In a small saucepan, heat all hot sauces and bring to boil. Pour hot sauce to blender, turn on low speed and slowly add small cubes of butter until melted and emulsified into a creamy sauce. Make sure that the blender lid is secure so the hot liquid doesn't splash.
Blue Cheese Fondue
½ tablespoon Wondra brand flour (you can substitute all purpose)
½ tablespoon butter (for roux)
3/4 cup milk
½ cup good quality blue cheese, crumbled
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Celery heart leaves to garnish
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook on medium but watch and adjust heat carefully so flour bubbles but doesn't burn. Cook for three minutes. Slowly add milk and whisk until the roux comes to a boil and thickens. Turn heat to low and slowly add blue to sauce until melted and emulsified. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste.
Korean Barbecue Wings
Andy Choi, executive chef, Cherry, NYC
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
Canola oil for frying
1 ½ cup rice flour*
½ cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Andy Choi's Wing Sauce (recipe below)
Toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions to garnish
Andy Choi's Wing Sauce
1 cup Gochujjang (korean red pepper paste)*
½ cup rendered bacon fat or drippings (you can also fry ½ pound of bacon in 4 tablespoons of canola oil. Puree and use as a substitute for drippings)
½ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Puree ingredients together in a blender until they form a smooth, thick, liquid.
*Ingredients can be purchased at an Asian food market or online at asiansupermarket365.com.
To make wings:
Heat oil to 300 degrees in a deep, heavy, four-quart pot (test with an oil thermometer). Don't fill pot more than halfway with oil.
Mix water with one cup of rice flour and whisk vigorously. Combine add salt and pepper and set aside. Take the remaining 1/2 cup of rice flour and coat the chicken wings evenly. Dredge wings thoroughly in the water and rice flour mixture. Carefully place wings into the hot oil using metal tongs. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove wings and drain on a cooking rack over paper towels and let sit for 1 hour.
Increase oil heat to 350 degrees. Re-dredge the chicken wings and fry five minutes until super crispy. Put wings into a large mixing bowl and toss with one cup of sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallion slices to garnish.
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