Chicken Wings Demystified

Hoisin Chili Chicken Wings.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

When people talk about wings, they always talk about the sauce and gloss over the flavor and texture of the actual wing.  There is much more to chicken wings than the sauce.  Seems to me that the places that sell wings forget that and, instead, put the sauce in the spotlight.  But, the sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken wing.  If it is a good chicken wing, one could argue that it really doesn't need sauce. I admit that I am kind of a chicken wing snob.  I think that most places under-cook their wings.  Granted, they are done and safe to eat, but the meat still clings to the bone and you have to put a bit of effort in gnawing on them.  I hate that.  A lot.  I know a lot of people that go fore the boneless wings, which aren't wings at all.  When I ask them why, I get the same answer; they don't like gnawing on bones.  I contend that you shouldn't have to work at chicken wings, if made properly.  And to be made properly, you need to have your head in the game.

Chicken wings are one of those intuitive things that you can't simply slap a temperature and time on and, all will be well, and people will cheer your name and make toasts to you all night long.  There is a fine line between tender, pull-off-the-bone goodness, and past tender, kind of dry, but still falling off the bone wings.  Let us not forget about the above mentioned not-so-tender-stuck-to-the-bone-yet-done-enough-to-be-safe-to-eat wings.  So, what's the secret?  Practice, practice, practice.  Also, don't fall into the pitfall of underestimating these things because they are so small and simple looking.  They take a fair amount of thought to do properly.

The sauce is ancillary to the whole process.  If you like creating your own sauces, like I do, then do it.  Go crazy.  But if that is not your bag, then find yourself something from the market that you enjoy.  Ultimately, you are going to make chicken wings, not sauce with chicken wings.  To start with, you need wings.  I usually buy a family pack of wings for me and my wife and usually can get one meal with left-overs.  The wing is made up of three parts: the drumette, flat, and the tip. Like most wing restaurants, I split my wings into the three parts.  The tips go into a vacuum bag and are saved for stock.  The rest is dinner.

Next, I dredge them in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and salt.  Some could argue that you don't need this step, but it is up to you.  Then, I fry them in canola oil at a temperature of around 350-360.  Typically, they will take about 16-20 minutes depending on how big the wings are.  I start to really pay attention to them at around 15 minutes and check for color and how much steam is still rolling off the deep fryer.  Again, this takes practice.

While they are frying, I dig out my huge stainless steel bowl.  I have never measured, but it has to be at least 20" across with very slopped sides, which is perfect for tossing the wings in the sauce.  Then I add some sauce to the bowl, and when the wings are done, in they go for a nice bath of sauce and out on the plate.

I know of few people who make their own wings, and it is a shame, really.  Yes, you need to deal with some kind of deep fryer and the left over oil, but it is worth it.  With a little practice, you can make better wings than the restaurants.