One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken wings. I prefer flats, naked and extra spicy with bleu cheese. This works out well as my wife prefers drumettes with ranch. Honestly, I am not sure what the rest of my family prefers besides ranch, as they eat the wings so fast it’s difficult tell a preference. Now don’t get me wrong … I would never turn away a breaded wing or not finish the drumettes if my wife didn’t want them all.

Chicken wings in their breaded and fried form have their roots in southern cooking. Southern fried chicken is a wonderful thing when done correctly and will be a future article as the elements of this seemingly simple cooking method are somewhat complex when you break it down to the details and in order to get a fantastic fried chicken.

The creation credit for naked wings is commonly given to Teressa Bellissimo at her restaurant, Anchor Bar, in Buffalo, New York, in 1964. Exactly how they were created is not certain, but they were an immediate success. Originally, they were just the two parts of the chicken wing fried then tossed in a seasoned hot sauce and butter mixture. Eventually other places adopted this delicious idea and added a breaded option. The breading gives a great crunch and absorbs more sauce, but they are more filling to eat. Wings are usually served with a side of bleu cheese or ranch and carrot and celery sticks.

My favorite way to cook the wings is to marinade them and then bake them at a high temperature, which tenderizes them and renders off the fat. When they are cooled, quickly fry and toss in a delicious sauce.

There are now several restaurants that serve chicken wings as their main item with a variety of sauce choices. I will not address boneless wings, as they are just a type of chicken nugget. They are tasty, but they are not wings.

Every year Buffalo, New York, has a chicken wing festival to celebrate this popular food. I have yet to visit this event, but it sure sounds like a good time.

I feel as long as you enjoy eating a good chicken wing, there are tons of options and combinations to personalize this fun comfort food.

Naked chicken wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings, flats and drumettes
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup hot sauce, Frank’s Red Hot is often used
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter (the hot sauce is salty, so do not use salted butter)
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch of garlic powder
• 1 pinch of onion powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the wings on a baking tray.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
5. Carefully flip the wings for even cooking.
6. Bake for another 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely. You can place them in the fridge in a sealed container until needed.
8. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and reserve.
9. Fry the wings at 350 degrees just until golden brown and crisp. It should take just a couple of minutes.
10. Drain the wings quickly, and then toss in the sauce.
11. Serve immediately with your preferred sides.

Breaded chicken wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings, flats and drumettes
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2/3 cup water

1. Combine everything accept the chicken wings to make a batter.
2. Add the chicken wings, and mix thoroughly to coat.
3. Let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Carefully place the wings one at a time into 350-degree oil for deep frying.
5. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until done.
6. Drain, and then toss in the previously mentioned sauce with your preferred sides.

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.