It’s thought that buffalo wings (no, they have nothing to do with actual buffaloes) originated in Buffalo, New York. Whatever their origin, they’re a winner for easy summertime snacking. They’re meant to be moist inside and crispy on the outside and get blasted with a spicy buffalo sauce.
At its simplest, buffalo sauce is whipped up by combining a shop-bought chilli sauce with honey and butter. We made ours from scratch using our versatile Cape Herb & Spice Portuguese Peri Peri Rub. It’s medium in heat, delivering a buffalo sauce that even kids will love. We also decided to cut the fat by doing our wings in the oven instead of deep-frying them. Serve these moreish bites with a traditional American blue cheese sauce, gem lettuce quarters and celery.
Start by making the buffalo sauce. Simply add all the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan and simmer, with lid on, over very low heat for five minutes. Then remove sauce and set aside.
Next up, the wings. Buffalo wings are traditionally not served whole, they are trimmed and cut in half. Do so by first removing the pointy wing tip and discarding it, and then cut the wing at the joint so you end up with a ‘wingette’ and a ‘drumette’. By far the easiest and safest way to do this is not with a cleaver or chef’s knife but with a good pair of kitchen scissors.
Time to cook the wings. The secret to crispy chicken is to ensure that the chicken skin is really dry. The other secret? Par-boiling the wings first and then whacking them into a really hot oven under a hot grill. Here’s how we did it…
Place the wings in a large saucepan with boiling water and 5 ml salt and simmer it for just five minutes. The wings are pretty much cooked through at this point, so the oven part of the method is all about maximum crunch. Drain the wings into a large colander and then place them on a wire rack for a good hour to dry out. Give them a final squeeze with some kitchen towel to ensure there is no residual moisture.
Assemble your blue cheese sauce while the wings are drying out. Simply combine all the ingredients together and mix well. Not all blue cheese has the same sodium level, so taste and see if it needs a hint of salt. What it will need is loads of freshly ground Cape Herb & Spice Extra Bold Peppercorns.
Also pre-heat your oven, grill on, to 220 degrees Celsius while the wings are drying out. Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper and pack the wings on the tray with the plump pretty side facing down. Place under a hot grill until they’re golden and crispy, then turn them over and grill the other side. (Cook’s note: How long this takes depends on your oven, so do keep and eye on them, but five minutes per side is a good guide.) Once the wings are crispy and golden, remove them and paint them right away with the buffalo sauce.
Serve these buffalo wings immediately with left over buffalo sauce on the side as well as celery sticks, quartered gem lettuce sprinkled with walnuts and that intense blue cheese sauce.
Also pre-heat your oven, grill on, to 440 degrees Fahrenheit while the wings are drying out. Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper and pack the wings on the tray with the plump pretty side facing down. Place under a hot grill until they’re golden and crispy, then turn them over and grill the other side. (Cook’s note: How long this takes depends on your oven, so do keep and eye on them, but five minutes per side is a good guide.) Once the wings are crispy and golden, remove them and paint them right away with the buffalo sauce.
Recipe by Lizet Hartley Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za