Chicken wings in time for Football season

Football season is among us and the one food that immediately jumps into mind is Chicken Wings!  Just picture a bowl of hot, steamy, spicy, crispy chicken wings dipped in your favorite dipping sauce, blue cheese or ranch. “But what about all the calories from deep frying them?” you may ask.

What if I told you these wings tasted as good if not better than any wings you have ever ordered and they are Baked. Whether your enjoying the big game or a movie these wings will produce that same authentic restaurant quality taste without the extra calories. I want to share this recipe it comes from Alton Brown and I seen it on an episode of Good Eats years ago. The recipe will give you perfectly crispy wings without the fryer. 

Ingredients

12 whole chicken wings (about 3 pounds)

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup hot sauce

Kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings in the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the paper towels on the pan and replace with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl with the garlic. Pour this along with the hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine. Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Recipe Courtesy of: Alton Brown Buffalo Wings 

Tips

•       Don’t skimp on the drying and cooling in the refrigerator. The dryer the wings are the crispier they will be.
•       Add fresh minced garlic while in the bowl with hot sauce for an extra kick.