Delicious Chicken Wings!

Do you like chicken wings?  I sure do.  I can't get enough of them!  Did you know that they're actually called "chicken wings" and not "Buffalo wings"?  It's true.  Buffaloes don't have wings.  This comes as a shock to most people, but I tell it like it is on my blog.  Haha.  Okay, I'm being funny, but I promise to be very serious about this gluten-free chicken wings recipe!

Now, if that doesn't look mouth-watering to you, I don't know what does!  Can you see the fried coating holding onto all of that sauce??  It makes for a delicious experience!

 

 

Chicken wings, those hot and zesty morsels, originated in Buffalo, New York at Frank and Teressa's Anchor Bar.  And how do I know this?  Because half a century ago I lived in Buffalo.  I stayed there for about a quarter of a century, and I can assure you that I ate many chicken wings.  I also knew Frank and Teressa (not personally, but everyone had met them because of the chicken wing phenomenon).  Now their wings, and almost all wings served in Buffalo, are deep fried "naked" and then have a hot sauce applied to them.  So very delicious . . . but did you know there is an even better way to make them?  The way I make them, there is a "coating" that grabs onto that hot sauce and holds every last drop of it.  If Frank and Teressa had known my mother, they would have known about this secret.  But now you know me, and I'm going to share it with you!

 

Place your gluten-free flour blend in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag.  Then cut your chicken wings and place them in a colander in the sink.  I usually do drumette sections first.  Rinse the wings with water, let drain a bit, then dump the drumettes into the bag.  Zip the bag shut and shake it up!

Here you can see the floured wings arranged on a cutting board.  I did the drumettes first, and do you see how I placed them?  This is so that they'll fit better in the pan.  I use a large rectangular electric frying pan set at 375 degrees.  Put no more than 1/4 inch of oil in.

Fry until brown and then turn.  If the pieces stick together, just gently force your thongs between them and they'll separate.  In a small bowl, put the butter and hot sauce.  Place on the back burner of your stove and set for low heat.

When the wings are nicely browned on both sides, remove them to paper towels to absorb the extra oil.  Then put the wings in a large bowl.  By now, the butter should be melted.  Stir the sauce well and dump it on top of the wings.  Mix and stir well so that all wings are coated with lots of sauce.

And you will end up with something like this!  Does that look good, or what??

1 cup of gluten-free flour mix

12 to 15 whole chicken wings

4 tbs butter

1/2 cup of Frank's RedHot Sauce (1/2 cup or MORE, I never measure)

oil for frying

Preheat your pan to 375 degrees.  Put no more than 1/4 inch of oil in the pan, less is fine.  Place the gluten-free flour in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag.  Cut the chicken wings up and place in a colander, drumettes first.  Rinse the drumettes, drain, and place in the flour bag.  Seal the bag and shake well.  Place the drumettes on a sideboard and repeat with the other sections.  When all the pieces have been coated with flour, place them in the hot oil.  Fry until brown and then turn.  Put the sauce and butter in a small pan and set this on the back burner of your stove on low heat.  When the wings are browned on both sides, remove them to paper towels to drain briefly.  Then put the wings in a large bowl.  At this point, the sauce should be hot and the butter should be melted.  Mix well and pour it over the wings and stir well.  Remove the wings to a serving platter.  Serve with bleu cheese, baby carrots, and celery sticks.

TIPS:

1.  Use a gluten-free flour blend here, not just one gluten-free flour.  Some flours brown better than others when fried, and this way you'll have a better chance at getting a nice brown color.

2.  Make sure you use Frank's RedHot Sauce.  It's just not the same without it.  Trust me.

3.  Buy whole chicken wings and not pre-cut wings.  The pre-cut wings are always so puny.  By the time you get the fried coating browned, a puny wing would be overcooked in the center.  It's not hard to cut wings up.  Just make sure you have a sharp knife.  Do NOT throw the wing tip sections out!  Save them in a bag in the freezer.  When you fill up a gallon-sized bag with them, you can make a nice pot of chicken broth.