A major time in a person’s life, is the process of making it in the world alone. For anyone, this can be a very overwhelming experience. One of the most missed pleasures will always be a warm home cooked meal. It is very hard to accept the fact that “mom” will no longer have dinner on the table after a long day of work or school. In this “out on your own: cooking” series, I will teach all of you whom are new to world of adulthood, just how simple it can be to prepare meals and side dishes. Not only will they be quick and easy to make; they will be affordable and delicious.
How to Make Homemade Hot Wings:
Hot wings are a very simple meal to prepare. They are great for many occasions such as, football Sundays, parties, and summer picnics. They work well as appetizers, and as the main course.
Ingredients and Tools:
Breading Mixture
Pure Vegetable Oil
Wing Sauce
Cutting Board and Knife
Breading Dish
Large Pot
Straining Spoon
Preparation:
When selecting chicken wings at the store, be sure to buy good quality wings. Estimate how many wings you’ll need for each person you are preparing them for. If using the wings for an appetizer, figure that each person would probably eat 5 or 6.
Use a clean cutting board and a sharp knife for preparing the wings. The knife must be sharp enough to cut through some bones. In most cases, the wings will be full size when you buy them. They will need to be cut in 2 places. First, cut the thin non-meaty piece of the wing off and dispose of it. You’ll be left with a sort of “V” shaped piece of chicken. Cut that piece in half, creating 2 wings.
When you have all your wings cut, you can start tossing them around in the breading mixture. Pretty much every major grocery store will carry pre-made breading mixture. (A homemade mixture would consist of flour and spices.) When every wing is fully coated, cover and place them in the refrigerator for about an hour.
After the wings have sat for about an hour in the fridge, you can begin to heat your vegetable oil in a large pot. Make sure to fill the pot enough, so that the wings can cook evenly. If you are making a lot of wings, you may want to make several batches. Fry the wings until they are about golden brown. They can cook till they are a little darker, if preferred. Remove the wings from the oil and place them on a toweled plate. This helps to remove excess oil.
The wings are now ready to be sauced! Store bought wing sauce works great, but homemade sauces can be just as good. (See below for homemade hot sauce recipe.) Spread the sauce evenly over all the wings, and serve as desired. Bleu cheese and celery are often served with wings, but it’s not necessary.
Homemade Wing Sauce:
1 1/2 cups melted butter
1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili sauce
Mix all the ingredients together well. Dip, or spread sauce over wings. Enjoy!
