Coutdown to the Super-BOWL Part II: The Wing

Now, it just ain't the Superbowl without the wing. You know..the Buffalo Wing. It's like the ultimate man snack. And quite frankly, we ladies love 'em too!

True story: about a million years ago, I was a single woman living in my own apartment. Cute little semi-basement studio. Anyway, I had a friend over. Great girl, except she was...well...a little dense. She was the type of girl who made all the Dumb Blond Jokes a reality. Only she wasn't a blond, so I guess the joke is on the brunettes.

So, this one evening, we are hanging out and decided to order some pizza. I said I was in the mood for some Buffalo Wings, would she want to order those too?

She looked at me so sadly and goes, "Oooooh, NO!! How could you eat those??"

I tried to figure out why she was so against these awesome, messy little tidbits. She looked traumatize. And then it dawned on me and I had to ask, "You think the wings come from a buffalo, don't you?"

And she nodded, looking at ME like I was the stupid one. I shook my head and proceeded to ask her "You have seen a picture of a buffalo before, haven't you? Maybe even saw one at the zoo?"

She nodded. Now she was confused.

"Did you ever see a buffalo with wings, friend?"

Now I could see her brain working overtime. She was befuddled. I had to clue her in before she gave herself a stroke from thinking to hard. "IT'S CHICKEN!! A CHICKEN WING!!"

"But why do they call it BUFFALO wings?" was her little "a-ha!" come back. I proceeded to smack myself in the forehead before explaining that they were named after the city of Buffalo...not the main provider beast of the Native Americans who lived on the plains.

And wouldn't you know she still didn't eat the wings after I ordered them? But...this was a girl that was also convinced that Duck Sauce was actually made from Duck Poop.

Now, On To the Buffalo Wing!! It's so simple. So easy. It doesn't need anything fancy done to it. Follow these simple steps and it comes out just as good as the wings from your local Mom and Pop Pub/Grill.

All you need are these:


That's it. Veggie Oil, Wings, Butter, Hot Sauce. Four very simple ingredients. (and salt, but everyone should have salt in their kitchen. KOSHER salt.)

First up, heat the veggie oil up to 350 degrees.


Make sure your pan is deep enough to handle splattering. Or if you have a deep fryer, even better.


Once that oil comes to 350, start dropping the wings in. Watch, because it will splatter and boil. Also be patient and do it in small batches.


Let it bubble and boil in that oil (hey that rhymes!) Let it go for about 25 minutes.

While they are frying up, put the bottle of hot sauce in a small pot and add butter. Let the butter melt away into the sauce, occasionally stirring.


After about 25-30 minutes, take the wings out and drain on paper towels. The skin will be nice and crispy. No need to dredge with flour or seasoning. Just hit them with a sprinkle of Kosher Salt.


Now, if you are like my dad, you will eat them just like this. He swears they are awesome just the way they are. Crispy, salty, and juicy.


But...if you are like the rest of the Buffalo Wing Eating world, you need to toss them in that sauce. Just remove the wings from the paper towel to a bowl. Ladle some of that sauce over them and toss them around.


Then, eat. Or if you are my son....devour.


Can't you just hear the little boy smacking his lips as he digs into them. He loves 'em spicy. He loves them period. I couldn't fry up enough at a time to keep up with him.

In the end, this was his pile o' bones:


And my poor husband only got two wings. (But that is what he gets for making a beer run while I'm making wings.) I did promise him that next time, I'll buy more wings just for him. And then my son made me promise to buy even more just for him.

So...that's it. Fry, Salt, then drench in sauce. Oil. Wings. Butter. Hot Sauce. And you will have those messy, dripping wings where the sauce gets all around your lips and starts to heat up your face. The sauce ends up all over your fingers and you relish in sucking them off. (Yeah, you know you do.) So good.

A quick note, in case the frying is too much fat and such. Make the sauce, let it cool, then pour all over a bowl full of wings. Let them marinate in the fridge. When you are ready, place them on a foil lined sheet, or grill them on the BBQ. I love grilling them on the BBQ. They come out just as good.

If you do choose to fry them, please please PLEASE take extra care. They do bubble and splatter and the oil is VERY HOT. Don't be stupid enough to fry them with a small child or baby in arms or even small pet (though that would be gross...you cooking while holding a pet...and this is coming from a woman who has a zoo in her house.)

*Don't forget to scroll down to yesterday's recipe...Part I of the Countdown to the Super-BOWL, the Nacho. And tomorrow I will reveal my Super-BOWL and a small "beer" for those who don't like beer.