Super Bowl Training Camp: The Ultimate Make-at-Home Chicken Wings

Whether you’re rooting for the Patriots or the Falcons, there’s at least one thing we can all agree on: Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect day for watching football eating chicken wings. To help you score a tastier-than-ever Super Bowl spread, Chef James Briscione is sharing his secret to the ultimate make-at-home chicken wings. With a healthy dose of brining and a simple, delicious sauce, these wings will make even your non-enthusiast friends excited about football.

Recipe

By James Briscione

Ingredients

For the wings:

• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco Pepper Sauce
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 branches fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 2 lbs chicken wings

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco Pepper Sauce
• 2 ounces butter, cut in to small pieces

Directions

1. Combine the water, sugar and salt in bowl and whisk until dissolved. Add the hot sauce, garlic, thyme and chicken wings. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 48 hours.
2. Transfer the chicken wings and brine to a medium saucepot. If the wings are not completely covered, add water to the pot to cover. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow wings to cool in the liquid for 15 minutes. Remove the wings from the liquid and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve.
3. To serve, remove the wings from the refrigerator and set aside at room temperature while you prepare the oil and sauce. Fill a large saucepan with canola or vegetable oil (about ¾ inch deep) and heat oil over medium heat.
4. While oil is heating, pour the hot sauce into a small saucepot and place over high heat. Add the butter and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl or a second large saucepan and hold next to the stove.
5. Add flour to a large mixing bowl or baking pan and season well with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken wings in the flour to coat completely.
6. To test if the oil is hot enough, sprinkle a pinch of flour into the pan; if the oil sizzles immediately, it’s ready to fry. Remove the wings from the flour one-by-one and pat off any of the excess flour. Carefully place the chicken wings in the hot oil — it should come about halfway up the side of the wing.
7. Let the wings cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, then turn with a pair of tongs and brown again on the second side. Transfer the browned wings to the bowl of hot sauce. Repeat with the remaining wings, keeping the pan of oil full of wings but trying not to let them touch one another (or they could stick together and not cook properly). Every time you remove one wing, replace it with another until the wings have been browned.
8. Toss wings in the sauce bowl to coat and serve immediately.

Note: Leave the oil to cool on top of the stove. When cooled, pour the oil into a bottle with a screw-on lid and discard. 

*This recipe originally appeared on The Couples Kitchen.

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