Classic bar food, Buffalo wings came to us from Teresa Bellissimo, owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Chicken wings are deep fried and tossed with a spicy, vinegary butter and hot pepper sauce.
The popularity of Buffalo wings has skyrocketed since their creation in the 1960s. Many of today’s versions vary widely from the original recipe, breading the chicken or using barbecue or other sauces. This recipe is the incomparable original.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings — 2 pounds
- Butter or margarine — 4 tablespoons
- Hot pepper sauce — 5 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper — to season
- Oil for deep frying
- Celery sticks — about 12
- Blue cheese dressing — 1 cup
Method
- Cut off the wing tips and discard them or freeze them for stock. Cut the wings into two pieces at the joint. These are called drumettes and flats.
- Place the butter, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking the ingredients together. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat the oil to 375°F in a large, deep pot or deep fryer. Deep fry the chicken wings in small batches until they are cooked through and crispy on the outside, around 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking pan and hold in a warm (200°F) oven while you deep fry the rest.
- Pour the sauce into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked chicken wings to the bowl and toss to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
Buffalo Winges Variations
- Butter or Margarine: Many Buffalo wing purists insist that using margarine makes a better wing than butter. It’s up to you.
- Hot Pepper Sauce: The original hot pepper sauce used for Buffalo wings is Frank’s Brand Original Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce. If you can’t find it, Crystal Brand is the next best thing. Tabasco Brand sauce, while excellent, is actually a distant third choice for original Buffalo wings. The flavor’s just not right.
- Accompaniments: The original accompaniments were just celery sticks and blue cheese. Many places offer ranch dressing instead, and sometimes include carrot sticks.
- Breading: Not for the real thing, you don’t!
- Low(er) Fat Version: Skip the deep fryer. Season the wings with a little salt and pepper and bake in a 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.
- Spiciness: Add more or less hot pepper sauce to match your tolerance for heat.
- It works best to fry the drummettes separately from the flats, as the drummettes take longer to cook.
