Cooking Lesson #941: No-Fry Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese Dip

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? It’s that time of year: we’re all thinking about football and chicken wings. Even people who don’t know a goal post from an Instagram post are pondering how delicious a platter of spicy chicken wings and rich blue cheese dip would be just about now. If you’re with us, but you don’t really have the inclination to get into deep-frying, here’s some great news: This recipe delivers all the crispiness of your favorite restaurant wings, but there’s no frying involved. Instead, we give them a long, slow oven bake.
 
The secret, believe it or not, is to coat the wings in baking powder, which creates a crunchy exterior that perfectly mimics what a deep-fry delivers. The oven setting plays an important role as well. Baking on very low heat for the first half hour allows the skin to crisp up. In the second half hour, we turn the oven up, slather on the Buffalo sauce—buttery, tangy and full of spice—and let the crispy-crusty exterior develop, just like it would in a deep fryer.
 
Of course, as much as a platter of chicken wings is about the meat, it’s also about the blue cheese dressing. Ours is made with blue cheese crumbles, mayo, sour cream, buttermilk and just a splash of white wine vinegar. It’s super creamy and tangy—with just exactly enough mild blue cheese flavor. There’s a little garlic and parsley in there too, and we like how they balance out all the rich flavors. This is a recipe to keep around… it's light like a blue cheese dressing and perfect for dipping and tossing.
 
In fact, this whole recipe set is a keeper. It’s quick and easy, and there’s hardly any clean up — and yet it is a guaranteed game day win. You can make the sauce and dressing ahead of time, then put the wings in the oven at the start of the big game. By halftime, you’ll be ready to roll.
 
Our tip: If you manage to have any leftovers of the blue cheese dressing, there are so many ways you can use it in the days ahead, including as a topping for baked potatoes, in place of mayo in sandwiches and wraps, or mixed into your next batch of just-for-grownups mac and cheese.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the wings
4 pounds chicken wings and drumettes
5 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 
For the sauce
4 tablespoons melted margarine
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Original sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Directions
To make the wings

1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
2. Preheat the oven to 250°F and place one oven rack in the top quarter of the oven and one in the bottom quarter.
3. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and set a cooling rack on top of it.
4. In a large plastic Ziploc bag, shake the wings with the baking powder, tossing to evenly distribute the baking powder.
5. Transfer the wings to the sheet pan and bake on the lower rack for 30 minutes.

While the wings are baking…
To make the Buffalo sauce

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the melted butter, hot sauce, brown sugar and salt.
2. Bring to medium heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Keep warm.

To finish the wings

1. Move the wings to the higher rack and turn the oven up to 425° F. Bake for 30 minutes more, or until golden brown and very crispy.
2. Toss the wings in the Buffalo sauce and serve immediately with a side Blue Cheese Dip (see below).

 
                                          Blue Cheese Dip
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  2 cups
 
Ingredients 
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper or to taste
 
Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, blue cheese, vinegar, parsley and garlic powder until incorporated and smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

ChefSecret:  This is the original Anchor Bar recipe. Don’t take shortcuts. There is no substitute for Franks Original. Do not use Franks Wing Sauce; it’s not the same. Only use margarine—do not use butter. Margarine works best and will not separate.

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do Native Americans call a buffalo that can fly? A. Buffalo Wild Wings.
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Appetizer #Snack #Chicken #BuffaloWings #ChickenWings #AirFryer #AnchorBar #FranksRedHotOriginal#Dinner #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup   
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

---