**FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES** Perfect Buffalo Wings are seen in this Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 photo. These wings start with high quality chicken parts then a 2 phase frying technique. By cooking once at a lower temperature then again at a high temperature you get a fully cooked wing with a crisp skin. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
According to the lore, Teressa Bellissimo was just trying to satisfy her hungry son and his friends. So on that 1964 night in Buffalo, N.Y., she tossed leftover chicken parts into the fryer at Anchor Bar, then doused them with hot sauce.
More than four decades later, the buffalo wing has become an American culinary icon.
But those years haven't always been kind. All manner of over-fried and stale-tasting frozen fowl limbs get passed off as the real deal. Some are so bad they are almost an insult to the beer and football they pair so nicely with.
Start with fresh chicken wings. And if you can, pony up for the good stuff. Most national and private label brands will work fine, but free-range and organic birds often sport more tender meat. And that produces a better wing.
For Best Buffalo Wings, salting the wings prior to frying helps rid them of excess moisture in the skin, which can cause the finished product to be rubbery rather than crispy. The Asian-inspired twice-fried method helps ensure tender meat and crispy skin.
As with all meat, be sure to leave the wings out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. Cold wings will drastically reduce the temperature of the oil. And cool oil doesn't crisp well.
Serve these wings with the traditional blue cheese dressing, sticks of celery and carrots.
Start to finish: 1 hour (plus overnight salting)
Servings: 5 to 6
5 pounds chicken wings and drummettes (20 to 25 pieces)
4 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons Sriracha (Asian hot chili) sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups canola oil
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Place the chicken in a large bowl, then sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken pieces from refrigerator and pat completely dry with paper towels, brushing away any salt. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the Sriracha sauce, honey, butter, soy sauce and cilantro. Taste to check the heat level. If the sauce is too spicy, add honey. Set aside.
Place the oil in a large Dutch oven fitted with a thermometer. Heat over medium until the oil is 275 F.
Divide the chicken into 4 batches. One batch at a time, fry for 8 minutes, transferring each to a clean plate or baking sheet when done. Once all the chicken is done, increase the heat to medium-high and heat oil to 375 F.
Again working in batches, fry the chicken for 2 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. The skin should be brown and crunchy and the meat should pull away from the bones with just a bit of resistance.
As each batch is transferred to the baking sheet, season it with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, then pour the chili sauce over it. Toss to thoroughly coat all the wings, then transfer to a serving platter.